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THE  LOVE  of  the  StdC^E'D 


THE  LOVE  OF 
THE    SACRED    HEART 

A    SERIES    FOR    SPECIAL 
SPIRITUAL    READING 

I. 

THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART. 

Illustrated    by   St.   MARGARET  MARY   and   the 
Blessed  JOHN  EUDES. 

"  A  book  of  much  value  to  Religious  and  others,  and 
it  is  certainly  calculated  to  promote  devotion  to  the 
Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus." — Messenger  of  the  Sacred 
Heart. 

"  A  valuable  guide  and  stimulus  to  perfection  through 
charity."— Month. 

II. 

THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART. 

Illustrated  by  St.  GERTRUDE. 
"  An  admirable  work." — Irish  Independent. 
11  A  welcome  addition  to  the  Catholic  private  devo« 
tional  library." — Catholic  Women's  League  Magazine. 

III. 

THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART. 

Illustrated  by  St.  MECHTILDE. 


The  Love  of 
the  Sacred  Heart 


Illustrated    by 
ST.    MECHTILDE 

With  a  Foreword  by  the 
LORD   BISHOP   OF   SALFORD 


LONDON 

Burns    Oates    &    Washbourne    Ltd. 

28   ORCHARD    STREET  8-10  PATERNOSTER   ROW 

W.  i • — — —  E-c-  4 

AND    .    AT    .    MANCHESTER   .    BIRMINGHAM    .    AND   .  GLASGOW 
1922 


DEC  -3  1952 


NIHIL  OBSTAT : 

G.  H.  JOYCE,  S.J. 

Censor  Deputatus. 

IMPRIMATUR : 

EDM.  CAN.  SURMONT, 

Vicarius  Gcneralis. 


WESTMONASTBRU, 

Die  6  Apr  His  t  1922. 


FOREWORD 

A,L  lovers  of  the  Sacred  Heart  were  delighted  to 
see  in  the  year  of  grace  1920  the  long  wished  for 
canonization  of  Blessed  Margaret  Mary  Alacoque 
(1647-1690),  whom  God  raised  up  in  recent  centuries 
to  revive  the  fire  of  devotion  to  the  divine  Heart  of  our 
Lord,  which  had  well-nigh  been  extinguished  by  the 
frost  and  drought  of  the  Jansenist  heresy.  The  devotion 
to  the  Sacred  Heart  is  too  often  spoken  of  and  thought 
of  as  a  "  modern  "  devotion,  and  in  one  sense  it  is  such. 
The  life-work  of  St.  Margaret  Mary  has  not  only  given 
that  sweetest  of  devotions  a  much  greater  vogue  and  a 
deeper  intensity  throughout  the  world,  but  it  has  even 
in  our  own  times  led  to  still  further  and  wider  develop 
ments,  such  as  the  beautiful  and  providential  practice, 
whose  world-wide  spread  we  owe  to  the  blessing  and 
encouragement  of  Pope  Pius  X — I  mean  the  Enthrone 
ment  of  the  Sacred  Heart  in  the  home,  which,  thank  God, 
is  becoming  yearly  more  popular  in  our  own  country. 
But  the  present  book  will  show  that  in  another  sense  the 
devotion  is  by  no  means  "modern."  As  will  be  seen, 
the  first  part  consists  of  copious  translations  from  the 
marvellous  mystical  revelations  of  a  lover  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  a  much  earlier  century,  the  Benedictine  nun 
St.  Mechtilde  (1241-1298),  whose  enraptured  utterances 
surpass  in  some  respects  those  of  her  better  known  friend 


vi  FOREWORD 

and  disciple  the  great  St.  Gertrude,  and  whose  signifi 
cance  as  the  type  of  mystic  theology  has  been  immor 
talized  by  Dante  in  his  mighty  epic.*  It  will  not  fail 
to  be  observed  how  extraordinarily  similar  a  great  deal 
of  the  inspired  language  and  profound  imagery  of  the 
Saint  of  the  thirteenth  century  is  to  that  of  the  one  who 
was  canonized  last  year;  although  I  am  not  aware  that 
there  is  evidence  of  Margaret  Mary  having  been  a  student 
of  the  works  of  her  illustrious  predecessor.  It  is  surely 
both  significant  and  instructive  that  our  divine  Lord 
deigned  to  make  known  the  mysteries  and  treasures  of 
the  unfathomable  abyss  of  His  divine  Love  in  a  manner 
so  similar,  often  identical,  to  two  of  His  chosen  spouses, 
at  an  interval  of  several  centuries.  The  pious  translator 
of  the  following  treatises,  however,  very  truly  remarks 
that  in  the  revelations  of  the  earlier  of  these  Saints,  the 
mystic  doctrines  of  the  Sacred  Heart  are  presented  more 
especially  for  the  guidance  and  edification  of  the  chosen 
few,  especially  of  the  inmates  of  the  cloister,  called  to 
the  more  hidden  life.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cult  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  in  these  last  three  centuries  has  become, 
and  is  becoming  daily  more  and  more,  the  common 
property  of  all  the  children  of  the  Church,  of  the  laity 
as  well  as  of  the  clergy  and  the  religious,  of  the  working 
man  and  woman  as  well  as  of  the  theologian,  and  even  of 
the  little  children  as  well  as  of  Christians  of  mature  years. 
And  that  recent  form  of  it  to  which  I  have  alluded  above 
— the  Enthronement  in  the  home,  whether  the  palace 
or  the  cottage — has  further  widened  it  to  become  the 

*  The  Matelda  of  Purgatorio,  xxxiii.  118. 


FOREWORD  vii 

property  and  the  privilege  not  merely  of  the  individual 
soul,  but  of  the  whole  Christian  family. 

May  every  reader  of  these  pages  pray  for  her  who  in 
the  midst  of  grave  sickness  and  pain  during  her  last 
illness  compiled  them  out  of  her  abounding  love  to  the 
Sacred  Heart  of  our  Blessed  Lord. 

©  LOUIS  CHARLES, 

Bishop  vf  Salford. 
OCTAVE  OF  THE  EPIPHANY, 
1922 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

FOREWORD       -  -  -  -  V 


INTRODUCTORY  :  THE  REVELATIONS  TO 
ST.  MECHTILDE 

CHAPTER 

I.    THE    BOOK    OF    SPECIAL    GRACE  I 

II.    LIFE    OF   ST.    MECHTILDE  5 

in.  ST.  MECHTILDE'S  MISSION       -  9 

THE  SACRED  HEART  WHILE  ON  EARTH 

I.    LOVE!    THE    REASON    OF    THE    INCARNATION         -          12 
II.    LOVE   ALWAYS    LEADS   TO    JESUS  -  15 

III.  THE    FOUR    BEATINGS    OF   THE   SACRED    HEART    -          l6 

IV.  THE    SOLICITUDE    OF    THE    SACRED    HEART    FOR 

THE   SALVATION    OF   SOULS    -  IJ 

v.  GOOD  WORDS:  WITNESSES  OF  THE  LOVE  OF  THE 

SACRED    HEART  -  -          19 

VI.   THE  TEARS    OF    OUR    LORD         -  -  21 

VII.    THE    HEART    OF   JESUS  AND  THE  WELL-BELOVED 

APOSTLE        -  24 

ix 


x  CONTENTS 

CHATTER  PAGE 

VIII.  THE  EXCHANGES  BETWEEN  THE  HEART  OF  JESUS 

AND  OUR  HEARTS    -  26 

IX.  HOW  OUR  LORD  PIERCED   MAGDALEN'S  HEART 

DURING  THE  PASSION  -       28 

X.  THE   SACRED    HEART   AT    THE    TIME    OF    OUR 

LORD'S  DEATH         -  -  -       32 

XI.  THE  GLORIFICATION  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART  -       34 

XII.    PRAISE     AND     SUPPLICATION  :     THE     FIVE     JOYS 

OF  THE    HEART    OF   JESUS  IN    HIS    RESURREC 
TION             -  -38 

XIII.  LOVE    BROUGHT     BACK    THE  SON     OF     GOD     TO 

HEAVEN         -  40 

THE   DEALINGS  OF  THE   SACRED  HEART 
WITH   MEN 

XIV.  THE    SACRED    HEART     MEDIATES    BETWEEN     GOD 

AND    MAN  -  42 

XV.    IN    WHAT    MANNER    THE    SACRED    HEART    EXER 
CISES    THE    OFFICE    OF     MEDIATOR    TOWARDS 

us  -  -      45 

XVI.    THE     SACRED     HEART     IS     THE     SOURCE    OF    THE 

DIVINE  LIFE  WHICH  WE  RECEIVE  IN   BAPTISM          49 

XVII.    THE     MEANS     OF     LEADING     A     CHRISTIAN     LIFE 

MUST    BE    SOUGHT    IN    THE    SACRED    HEART     -          53 

xvin.  MARY'S  ASSISTANCE  WITH  THE  SACRED  HEART       55 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIX.    THE     CHURCH     ENSHRINED     IN     THE     SACRED 

HEART  -  "59 

XX.    THE   SACRED    HEART   AND    SINNERS     -  6l 

XXI.    THE    SACRED     HEART     A     PERPETUAL     VICTIM  62 

XXII.    IN   HEAVEN  THE  SACRED  HEART  IS  STILL  THE 

HEART    OF   THE    GOOD    SHEPHERD  -  63 

XXIII.  THE  INVITATIONS  GIVEN  BY  THE  SACRED  HEART 
TO  THOSE  WHO  WISH  TO  DEVOTE  THEM 
SELVES  TO  ITS  SERVICE  -  -  66 

XXIV.    WHAT    THE     SACRED     HEART    WISHES    TO     BE 

FOR  US  -  68 

XXV.    THE  SACRED  HEART  IS  THE  SOURCE  OF  FERVOUR  JO 

XXVI.    THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  ITS  UNION  WITH  SOULS  J2 

XXVII.    CONSECRATED    SOULS:    THEIR   VOCATION           -  76 

XXVIII.    THE   TIME    OF   TRIAL                                                       -  78 

XXIX.    TEPIDITY     -  8O 

XXX.    THE    PRACTICE    OF   VIRTUE    -                                   -  83 

XXXI.  THE    RENEWAL    OF    OUR   FIRST   FERVOUR             -  86 

XXXII.  THE    SACRED     HEART    SHOULD    BE    THE    ONLY 

TREASURE    OF   A    RELIGIOUS               -  QO 

XXXIII.  A  RELIGIOUS  BELOVED  BY  THE  SACRED  HEART  IS 

A   TREASURE   IN    A    COMMUNITY    -  "93 

XXXIV.   THE  SACRED    HEART  AND  THE   PREACHERS   OF 

'     THE    GOSPEL  -  "95 


xii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXV.    THE  SACRED    HEART  AND   THOSE  WHO   SUFFER         96 

XXXVI.    THE  SACRED  HEART  WISHES  TO  CONSOLE  THOSE 

WHO    SUFFER  -  -  -  98 


XXXVIII.    THE   SACRED    HEART   AND    PURGATORY  -  IQJ 

XXXIX.    THE    SACRED    HEART   AND    HEAVEN     -  -  113 

XL.    OUR    DUTY     TOWARDS     THE     SACRED     HEART: 

DEVOTION    TO    THE   SACRED    HEART  -  115 

XLI.    THE    ADORATION    OF   THE    SACRED    HEART  -  117 

XLII.   THE    OFFERING    OF    OUR    HEARTS          -  -  119 

XLIII.    THE    OUTPOURINGS    OF   THE    HEART  -  -  122 

XLIV.    REPARATION    FOR   SIN  -  125 

XLV.    THANKSGIVING  -  129 

XLVI.    CONFIDENCE  -  13! 

XLVII.    ORDINARY  ACTIONS  DONE  IN  UNION  WITH  THE 

SACRED    HEART      -  -  134 

XLVIII.    DIVINE  PRAISE            -  -  138 

XLIX.    THE  SACRED  HEART  ITSELF  TRAINS  MECHTILDE 

IN    DIVINE    PRAISE                                   -  -  14! 

L.    THE  INTENTIONS  OF  THE   HEART  OF  JESUS  IN 

DIVINE    PRAISE       -  -  144 

LI.    THE   SACRED    HEART   AND    CONFESSION  -  146 

LII.    ON    PURITY    OF    CONSCIENCE                   -  -  15! 

LIII.   THE   SACRED    HEART   AND    HOLY    MASS  -  154 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  pAGE 

LIV.    INVITATION    TO    HOLY    COMMUNION  -       159 
LV.    PREPARATION    FOR    HOLY    COMMUNION  -       l6l 
LVI.    THE    FIVE    HAIL    MARYS    BEFORE    HOLY  COM 
MUNION                -  ift* 

LVII.    OF     DRYNESS      IN      RECEIVING      HOLY  COM 
MUNION                                       -  jgr 

LVIII.   THE   FRUIT   OF    HOLY    COMMUNION  -  -       l6/ 


The 

Love  of  the  Sacred  Heart 

The  Archives  of  the  Devotion  to  the  Sacred 

Heart  of  Jesus  and  to  the  Immaculate 

Heart  of  Mary 

INTRODUCTORY 
THE  REVELATIONS  TO  ST.  MECHTILDE 

CHAPTER  I 
"  THE  BOOK  OF  SPECIAL  GRACE  » 

THE  Revelations  of  St.  Mechtilde  are  contained  in 
a  book  entitled  The  Book  of  Special  Grace.  This 
book  was  written  almost  entirely  without  her 
knowledge,  and  is  based  on  the  recitation  of  her  com 
munications  with  our  divine  Master.  Two  of  the 
Saint's  companions,  of  whom  St.  Gertrude  was  one,  had 
arranged  together  to  write  it.  It  was  nearly  finished 
when  St.  Mechtilde  became  aware  of  it.  While  she  was 
hearing  Mass  a  mysterious  voice  made  one  of  the  culprits 
known  to  her  and  at  the  same  time  asked  her  this  question: 
"  What  shall  be  her  reward  for  what  she  has  written  ?" 
Very  much  astonished  St.  Mechtilde  asked  her  friend  if 
she  had  been  in  the  habit  of  writing  down  what  she  told 
her.  She,  not  wanting  to  acknowledge  it,  made  some 
excuse,  telling  the  Saint  to  ask  our  Lord  about  it.  St. 
Mechtilde,  having  thus  been  made  aware  of  the  truth,  was 
so  grieved  as  to  be  inconsolable.  She  therefore  went  to 


2    THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

our  Lord,  her  ordinary  refuge,  and  told  Him  con 
fidingly  of  her  sorrow.  Our  Lord  appeared  to  her  at 
once,  holding  the  book  on  His  Heart  with  His  right  hand. 
He  kissed  it,  and  said  to  her:  "  All  that  is  found  written 
in  this  book  has  flowed  from  My  divine  Heart,  and  will 
return  to  it." 

St.  Mechtilde  asked  our  Lord  if  now  she  should  cease 
communicating  to  others  the  graces  she  received  from 
God.  Our  Lord  answered:  "  Give  Me  to  others  with 
the  liberality  of  My  generous  Heart.  Give  Me  to  others 
according  to  My  goodness  and  not  according  to  thine." 
She  answered:  "  What  will  they  do  with  this  book  after 
my  death  and  what  good  will  result  from  its  being 
written?"  The  Lord  replied:  "All  those  that  seek 
Me  therein  with  a  true  heart  shall  rejoice;  those  that  love 
Me  will  be  more  inflamed  with  My  love;  and  those  in 
sorrow  shall  be  consoled."  Mechtilde  again  asked  what 
name  the  book  should  bear,  and  our  Lord  answered: 
"They  shall  call  it  The  Book  of  Special  Grace." 

So  our  Lord  Himself  approved  of  the  book  being 
written  and  also  watched  over  it,  so  that  no  error  should 
appear  in  it. 

One  day  Mechtilde,  remembering  this  book,  asked  our 
Lord  this  question:  "  How  am  I  to  know  whether  what 
they  have  written  is  correct,  as  I  have  neither  seen  nor 
approved  of  it;  and  even  if  I  read  it  carefully  now,  I 
could  not  be  sure  if  I  remembered  correctly  ?"  Our 
Lord  replied:  "  I  am  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  hear 
thee  and  I  execute  their  desires.  I  am  their  understanding 
as  they  listen,  and  it  is  through  Me  they  are  able  to 
comprehend  what  thou  sayest.  I  am  also  in  their  mouth, 
when  they  speak  of  it.  I  guide  their  hands,  when  they 
write  it.  I  am  their  Helper  and  co-operator  in  all,  and 
so,  in  Me  and  by  Me,  who  am  the  Truth,  all  that  they 
dictate  and  write  is  true.  The  elegance  of  style  with 
which  I  speak  to  thee  is  wanting,  but  by  My  grace,  all  is 
approved  and  confirmed  in  the  truth.  Thou  hast  so 


"  THE  BOOK  OF  SPECIAL  GRACE  "          3 

often  besought  Me  never  to  allow  thee  to  fall  into  any 
error,  that  thou  hast  good  reason  to  believe  that,  in  My 
goodness,  I  have  heard  thy  prayer."  She  then  saw  three 
rays  of  light  from  the  divine  Heart  fall  on  the  two  persons 
who  wrote  this  book,  and  understood  from  this  that  it 
was  by  the  inspiration  and  strength  of  divine  grace  that 
they  devoted  themselves  to  this  work,  and  that  therefore 
they  generously  accepted  all  the  fatigue  that  came  to 
them  from  it. 

The  book  could  therefore  be  finished  and  would  do 
great  good  to  souls.  Mechtilde's  two  friends  congratu 
lated  themselves  and  thanked  our  Lord.  ...  "  Blessed 
be  God,  the  Author  of  all  good;  it  is  by  His  Will  and 
blessing  that  this  book  is  published.  It  is  by  no  private 
design  nor  presumption  in  those  who  have  written,  but  by 
the  advice  and  command  of  their  Abbess  and  with  the 
approval  of  their  Bishop. 

"  May  we  be  forgiven  the  mistakes  in  composition  and 
in  elegance  of  style  which  will  be  met  with;  we  are  not 
accustomed  to  writing,  and  St.  Augustine  says :  '  A 
characteristic  of  a  good  mind  is  to  love  the  truth  in  the 
words,  not  the  words  themselves.' J!  (Prologue.) 

The  servant  of  God  was  moreover  able  to  obtain  the 
book,  correct  it  and  give  it  her  sanction.  It  was  not, 
however,  without  great  resistance  on  the  part  of  her  two 
companions,  who  constantly  refused  to  allow  her  to  see  it 
from  fear  of  causing  her  pain.  Our  Lord  had  once  more 
to  interfere,  and  He  reassured  St.  Mechtilde,  saying  to 
her:  "  Fear  not,  all  comes  from  Me,  all  is  My  work. 
I  gave  thee  the  gift,  and  as  it  comes  from  Me,  it  is  also  just 
as  truly  by  My  inspiration  that  thy  companions  have 
undertaken  and  carried  on  this  work.  So,  fear  not  and 
be  not  alarmed,  I  will  Myself  preserve  this  book  from  all 
error.  Every  word  that  has  been  written  has  been 
dictated  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  all  are  as  pearls  that  shall 
adorn  their  crown  in  My  eyes  eternally." 

From  this    time  the  two  friends,  reassured  by  this 


4         THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

vision,  showed  the  book  to  St.  Mechtilde  whenever  she 
wished  it,  or  they  read  it  to  her  faithfully.  In  doubtful 
passages  the  Saint  consulted  our  Lord,  and  so  He  corrected 
it  Himself. 

After  St.  Mechtilde's  death  St.  Gertrude  saw  her  in 
glory,  and  asked  if  she  were  pleased  or  otherwise  with  the 
publication  of  this  book.  "  It  is  my  greatest  joy,"  she 
replied.  "  I  see  it  will  contribute  to  the  glory  of  God, 
to  the  fulfilment  of  His  will,  and  to  my  neighbours'  good. 
The  book  shall  also  be  named  The  Light  of  the  Church. 
They  who  read  it  shall  recognize  themselves  in  the 
brightness  of  the  light.  They  will  see  by  what  spirit 
they""  are  animated.  The  sorrowful  shall  find  in  it  con 
solation."  The  Saint  compared  the  readers  of  this  book 
to  those  who  should  receive  a  present  from  a  King  through 
a  messenger.  They  would  possess  and  reap  as  much 
benefit  as  if  they  had  received  the  gift  direct  from  the 
King's  hand  (vii.  17). 

Such  was  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Special  Grace. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  tell  the  history  of  its  beginning 
more  simply  or  to  establish  better  its  truth  and  worth. 
Its  composition  extended  over  several  years.  It  was  begun 
in  1291,  when  Mechtilde  was  fifty  years  of  age.  It  could 
only  have  been  finished  shortly  before  her  death,  which 
took  place  in  1298.  St.  Gertrude,  who  was  one  of  the 
collaborators,  had  begun  her  own  book,  The  Herald  of 
Divine  Love,  the  25th  of  March,  1289,  so  that  these  two 
admirable  works  date  from  the  same  time. 

They  are  both  incomparable  treasures  of  doctrine  on 
the  Sacred  Heart,  for  rarely  before  and  never  since  have 
the  relations  of  the  divine  Heart  with  the  other  divine 
Persons  or  with  the  souls  of  men  been  treated  of  so  fully 
or  with  so  much  exactness  and  brilliancy. 

From  this  treasure  we  are  going  to  drink  deeply.  But 
first  let  us  cast  a  glance  at  the  holy  soul  who  thus  reveals 
to  us  the  secrets  of  the  divine  Heart,  Our  faith  in  her 
words  will  surely  be  the  firmer. 


CHAPTER  II 
LIFE  OF  ST.  MECHTILDE 

THE  first  and  final  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Gracehad 
been  carefully  hidden  from  St.  Mechtilde's  sight. 
Her  humility  would  certainly  have  taken  alarm  at 
the  praises  there  bestowed  on  her.  These  pages,  though 
too  few,  are  enough  to  make  us  appreciate  her  great 
virtues .  We  will  here  give  the  principal  details . 

The  first  chapter  begins  as  follows : 

This  virgin  was  from  her  earliest  infancy  prevented  by 
divine  grace.  At  her  birth,  as  it  was  feared  that  she  was 
about  to  expire,  they  carried  her  in  haste  to  be  baptized 
by  a  priest  of  great  holiness  who  was  just  preparing  to 
celebrate  the  Holy  Mass.  After  baptizing  her  he  pro 
nounced  these  words  which  we  love  to  think  prophetic: 
"  Why  do  you  fear  ?  This  child  will  not  die,  but  will 
become  a  holy  religious.  By  her  God  will  work  great 
wonders  and  she  will  finish  her  life  at  a  good  old  age,  full  of 
merits."  When  she  was  seven  years  of  age  her  mother 
took  her  to  visit  the  convent  which  was  near  her  parents' 
residence.  Once  there  she  refused  to  leave,  notwithstand 
ing  her  mother's  desire  for  her  to  return  home.  Full  of 
delight,  she  begged  the  Sisters,  one  by  one,  to  receive  her 
into  their  company;  and  neither  threats  nor  coaxing 
could  move  her  to  leave  them. 

What  do  we  know  of  the  family  that  the  Saint  deserted 
at  so  early  an  age,  and  what  of  the  monastery  in  which 
she  had  come  to  bury  her  young  life  ? 

Mechtilde  belonged  to  the  family  of  Hackborn.  She 
was  born  in  1241.  The  monastery  into  which  she 
entered  in  1248  was  at  that  time  at  Rodarsdorf  in  the 
vicinity  of  her  parents'  chateau.  In  1258  this  monastery 

5 


6         THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

was  transferred  to  Helfta,  on  land  which  was  given  by 
her  brothers  the  Lords  Albert  and  Ludwig  of  Hackborn. 
This  monastery  was  near  the  small  town  of  Eisleben  in 
Saxony,  where,  two  centuries  later,  Luther  was  born. 

St.  Mechtilde  advanced  rapidly  from  virtue  to  virtue. 
"  She  had  a  wonderfully  sweet  disposition,  profoundly 
humble,  most  patient,  a  sincere  lover  of  poverty,  and  very 
fervent  and  devoted.  But  it  was  especially  in  her  love 
for  God  and  her  neighbour  that  she  made  the  greatest 
progress;  she  showed  herself  pleased  and  amiable  to  all, 
full  of  tender  compassion  towards  the  afflicted  or  those 
in  trouble.  She  was  like  a  loving  mother  to  those, 
showering  on  them  consolation  and  help,  and  so  no  one 
went  near  her  without  being  comforted  and  strengthened. 
She  was  much  loved  by  all.  Everyone  wanted  to  be  with 
her,  and  this  often  caused  her  some  inconvenience." 

So  perfect  a  religious  must  have  been  a  treasure  in  the 
Convent  of  Helfta.  Not  only  had  God  enriched  her  with 
spiritual  gifts,  but  also  with  those  of  nature — learning,  a 
wide  knowledge  of  literature,  a  beautiful  voice,  everything 
that  could  make  her  useful  to  the  monastery.  It  seemed 
as  if  God  would  not  allow  her  to  want  for  anything. 

Her  beautiful  voice  caused  her  to  be  appointed  Cantor 
to  the  Convent.  Many  times  she  gained  by  her  singing 
what  she  prized  more  than  the  applause  of  men,  the 
approval  of  her  divine  Spouse,  to  whom  she  had  entirely 
consecrated  her  voice.  She  also  had  charge  of  the  School, 
where  St.  Gertrude  soon  became  one  of  her  pupils. 
"  She  taught  Christian  doctrine  with  such  efficiency 
that  we  have  never  had,  and  fear  we  never  shall  have, 
anyone  in  our  Monastery  to  equal  her.  The  Sisters 
gathered  around  her  as  around  a  preacher  to  hear  the 
word  of  God.  She  dictated  and  taught  them  prayers, 
and  they  were  so  numerous  that  if  gathered  together 
they  would  make  a  larger  book  than  all  the  psalms. 

"  Besides  all  this  she  was  a  perfect  religious  ready  to 


LIFE  OF  ST.  MECHTILDE  7 

renounce  her  own  will  and  full  of  self-contempt,  prompt 
in  obedience,  zealous  for  prayer  and  contemplation;  she 
also  had  the  gift  of  tears.  She  so  practised  poverty  as  to 
refuse  herself  even  what  was  necessary.  It  was  only 
through  obedience  that  she  possessed  a  mantle,  and  her 
other  garments  were  made  of  the  commonest  materials 
and  mended  and  patched  all  over.  Being  immersed  in  the 
love  of  our  divine  Lord  she  so  forgot  herself  that  she  lost 
the  use  of  her  exterior  senses,  as  we  read  of  St.  Bernard. 
She  ate  rotten  eggs  without  perceiving  it  and  before  those 
near  her  could  prevent  it.  Sometimes,  when  visitors  were 
at  the  Monastery  and  she  had  refused  to  eat  meat,  they 
gave  it  to  her  and  she  ate  it,  until  from  their  laughter  she 
saw  something  unusual  had  occurred  and  came  to  herself 

"  This  great  lover  of  suffering  mortified  her  body  for 
the  conversion  of  sinners.  During  Lent,  hearing  the 
people  shouting  and  singing,  she  felt  consumed  with  zeal 
for  God's  honour  and  also  touched  with  great  compassion. 
To  offer  God  some  small  reparation  she  placed  pieces  of 
broken  glass  and  other  sharp  objects  in  her  bed  and  rolled 
on  them  until  her  flesh  was  torn  and  she  was  covered  with 
wounds  and  blood;  the  pain  afterwards  prevented  her 
from  either  sitting  or  lying  down.  During  Passiontide 
she  was  so  full  of  compassion  she  could  not  speak  of  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  without  shedding  tears.  When  she 
spoke  either  of  the  sufferings  or  of  the  love  of  Christ  she 
was  filled  with  such  fervour  that  her  face  and  hands 
became  quite  red.  And  we  think  that  she  very  often 
shed  her  blood  spiritually  for  the  love  of  Christ  "  (v.  30). 

In  enumerating  her  virtues  Mechtilde's  companions 
often  compared  her  with  the  different  orders  of  Saints 
and  Angels.  They  said:  "This  angelic  virgin  deserves 
to  be  compared  above  all  with  the  Seraphim;  united  so 
frequently,  in  an  intimate  manner,  with  that  love  which  is 
God  Himself;  and  clasped  with  so  much  affection  to  His 
Heart,  so  full  of  fire,  she  became  one  spirit  with  Him." 


8    THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

She  was  never  tired  of  speaking  of  God,  and  with  so  much 
fervour  and  divine  Love  that  she  enkindled  the  same  in 
the  hearts  of  all  who  heard  her.  Indeed,  one  might  say 
of  her,  as  of  the  Prophet  Elias,  that  her  words  "  burnt 
like  a  torch." 

When  did  Mechtilde  receive  the  first  confidences 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  ?  We  are  told  by  her  companions 
that,  from  her  earliest  infancy,  God  commenced  to 
reveal  His  secrets  to  her,  but  she  says  that  one  of  the 
first  graces  she  received  was  the  gift  of  the  Sacred 
Heart.  So  we  may  conclude,  that  for  many  years,  if 
not  all  her  life,  she  had  had  a  true  devotion  to  this 
worthy  object  of  our  love.  Our  Blessed  Lord  not  only 
revealed  to  her  His  Sacred  Heart,  but  He  would  place  it 
as  a  pledge  in  the  breast  of  His  holy  Spouse.  She  de 
scribes  the  event  in  these  words:  "On  Wednesday  in 
Easter  Week  hearing  at  Mass  the  words  Venite  benedicti 
Patris  mei,  she  was  filled  with  a  sweet  and  extraordinary 
joy  and  said  to  our  Lord:  '  Oh  that  I  may  be  one  of  those 
blessed  souls  who  shall  hear  those  sweet  words  from  Thy 
mouth.'  Our  Lord  replied:  c  Thou  mayest  be  very 
sure  thou  wilt  be,  and  to  prove  it,  I  give  thee  My  Heart 
to  keep  always,  and  only  to  be  given  back  to  Me  when  I 
shall  have  fulfilled  thy  desire.  I  give  thee  My  Heart  as  a 
place  of  refuge;  at  the  hour  of  thy  death  it  will  be  im 
possible  for  thee  to  lose  thyself  on  any  other  road,  thou 
wilt  only  have  My  Heart  wherein  to  rest  eternally.'  " 

This  gift  was  the  forerunner  of  many  she  was  to  receive 
from  God.  She  began  to  have  a  very  great  devotion  to 
the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  Christ;  whenever  our  Lord 
appeared  to  her  she  nearly  always  received  some  special 
favour  from  His  Heart,  as  may  be  seen  from  many  places 
in  this  book.  She  often  loved  to  say:  "  If  all  the  graces 
that  have  come  to  me  from  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus 
were  written  down,  a  book  larger  than  a  Breviary  would 
not  suffice  in  which  to  narrate  them." 


CHAPTER  III 
ST.  MECHTILDE'S  MISSION 

Afar  back  as  the  thirteenth  century  the  Sacred 
Heart  enriched  this  chosen  soul  with  His  most 
extraordinary  favours.  Like  the  well-beloved 
Apostle,  Mechtilde  often  leaned  her  head  on  the  breast 
of  the  Man-God.  She  drank  from  the  same  source  as  that 
from  which  the  Apostle  had  drawn  the  floods  of  truth 
contained  in  his  Gospel.  She  had  free  entrance  into 
this  sanctuary  of  perfect  praise.  She  found  in  this  shrine 
the  treasures  of  all  graces  and  also  that  of  divine  love,  and 
her  heart  was  filled  with  the  fire  which  inflamed  the 
Seraphim.  Also  she  received  the  Sacred  Heart  itself 
in  some  mysterious  way,  and  bore  it  in  her  breast  until 
her  death. 

In  the  wonderful  favours  granted  by  God  to  this  humble 
daughter  of  St.  Benedict  He  had  special  designs.  No 
doubt  He  wished  to  manifest  His  marvellous  conde 
scension.  He  loves  to  lower  Himself  towards  souls  who 
sink  into  their  own  nothingness,  but  He  wished  also  to 
give  Mechtilde  special  tokens  of  His  liberality,  so  that  she 
might  be  received  as  the  accredited  messenger  of  His 
Sacred  Heart.  The  writing  of  the  Book  of  Special  Grace 
was  not  the  result  of  a  little  pious  indiscretion,  but  a 
providential  fact,  instigated  by  our  Lord  Himself.  Several 
times  He  intervened  to  calm  the  fears  of  the  humble 
Benedictine,  to  guide  the  pen  of  her  companions,  or  to 
give  to  the  entire  book  His  formal  approbation,  affirming 
that  all  contained  therein  had  originated  in  His  divine 
Heart.  He  also  declared  that  that  Heart  would  bless 
those  who  on  reading  this  book  became  enamoured  of  the 
gift  of  special  grace. 

We  must,  however,  make  one  remark.     Mechtilde  did 


10      THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

not  receive  any  mission  to  convert  souls,  but  only  to 
enlighten  those  to  whom  the  Sacred  Heart  had  made 
itself  known.  As  the  prophets  of  the  ancient  law  were 
only  sent  to  the  people  of  Israel,  so  the  Virgin  of  Helfta 
was  only  sent  to  the  privileged  friends  of  the  Sacred  Heart. 
The  devotion  to  this  adorable  Heart  was  for  three  cen 
turies  to  be  the  reward  of  the  perfect.  Even  the  title 
of  the  book  and  the  kind  of  grace  of  which  it  records  the 
marvels  indicate  this  restriction.  It  is  the  Book  of  Special 
Grace.  That  of  universal  grace  was  only  to  appear 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  was  also  inspired  by 
the  Sacred  Heart  and  written  by  the  timid  hand  of 
Margaret  Mary. 

All  are  now  called  to  know  the  Sacred  Heart.  The 
Book  of  Special  Grace  must  henceforth  be  known  by  the 
second  name  given  it  by  St.  Mechtilde,  The  Light  of  the 
Church :  Liber  namque  ille  Lumen  Ecclesice  vocabitur — a 
prophecy  which  is  fulfilled  in  our  days.  Thanks  to  the 
labours  of  the  Benedictine  Fathers  of  Solesmes,  there  is 
now  a  new  translation  of  St.  Mechtilde's  works,  which 
gives  pious  readers  the  opportunity  of  tasting  the  sweet 
ness  and  unction  contained  in  them.  Their  doctrinal 
value  is  admirably  described  by  the  translator  as  follows : 
"  The  mystery  of  the  Incarnation  holds  the  first  place, 
or  rather  is  seen  and  felt,  in  all  its  manifestations.  The 
Man-God  is  not  only  Saviour  but  Mediator  between 
God  and  man.  And  what  strong  incentive  caused  His 
intervention  and  led  Him  to  carry  out  this  role  even  to 
the  end  ?  It  was  love.  Yes,  love  which  is  charity,  and 
charity  which  is  God  Himself  (John  iv.  8).  Love  in 
human  form*  seized  upon  the  Son  of  God  and  caused 
Him  to  descend  into  the  womb  of  a  virgin-daughter  of 
Adam;  then,  leading  Him  through  the  rough  ways  of 
poverty  and  suffering  to  the  Cross  on  Calvary,  raised 
Him  up  again,  and  followed  Him  to  heaven,  to  the  right 
*  See  p.  14,  Book  II.,  Chap,  i, 


ST.  MECHTILDPS  MISSION  11 

hand  of  His  Father,  whence  she  always  inclines  the  God 
head  towards  the  children  of  earth.  .  .  .  The  divine 
Heart  is  always  seen  to  be  a  source  of  love  and  also  of  the 
operations  of  love.  Mechtilde  presents  us  with  more 
pictures  than  Gertrude,  and  this  applies  to  all  her  visions, 
which  are  nearly  always  represented  to  us  under  a  more 
sensible  form  than  those  of  St.  Gertrude.  What  is  more 
delightful  or  lovingly  divine  than  the  gift  our  Lord  made 
of  His  Heart  to  Mechtilde,  as  a  pledge  which  He  would 
require  of  her  at  the  moment  of  death,  and  this  promise 
made  to  all :  "  I  will  drink  of  all  the  hearts  who  drink  of 
Mine"  (Preface)? 

The  works  of  St.  Mechtilde  raise  the  veil  which  here 
below  hides  the  Sacred  Heart  from  our  longing  gaze. 
We  might  also  state,  though  that  is  out  of  our  province, 
that  their  literary  beauty  is  of  a  very  high  order.  Dante 
was  several  times  inspired  by  the  Book  of  Special  Grace, 
and  the  question  is  discussed  to-day  whether  a  person 
introduced  into  the  Divina  Commedia  under  the  name  of 
Matelda*  is  not  intended  to  be  the  Virgin  of  Helfta. 
We  may  leave  this  question  to  the  decision  of  the  learned, 
and  for  ourselves  gather  together  all  the  passages  wherein 
the  Sacred  Heart  speaks  to  us  in  the  Book  of  Special  Grace. 

The  Rev.  Dom  Paquelin  marks  the  different  divisions 
to  which  we  can  devote  our  attention : 

1.  The  dispositions  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus  from  the 
moment  when  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father  He  was  seized  by 
love  and  cast  into  the  womb  of  Mary  to  the  day  when  He 
returned  triumphant  to  heaven. 

2.  The  relations  of  the  Sacred  Heart  with  each  one  of 
us  in'  the  mysteries  of  grace  and  of  the  Holy  Eucharist. 

3.  Our  acts  of  worship  towards  the  Sacred  Heart. 

A  summary  of  these  extracts  would  form  a  very  complete 
code  of  doctrine  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  So  that  the  first 
pages  of  this  book  might  be  called  A  Sixteenth  Century 
Treatise  on  Devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart. 

*  Matelda,  Purgatorio,  xxxiii.  118. 


THE   SACRED    HEART   WHILE   ON 
EARTH 


CHAPTER  I 
LOPE— THE  REASON  OF  THE  INCARNATION 

THE  greatest  marvel  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  the 
Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God.  That  by  a  word 
the  Almighty  should  bring  out  of  nothing  light  and 
the  stars,  the  earth  and  the  heavens,  is  nothing  very- 
astonishing  ;  it  is  the  work  of  one  absolute  Creator  and 
Master.  But  that  the  Almighty  should  deign  to  abase 
Himself,  be  conceived  and  born  of  a  woman,  and  appear 
like  an  ordinary  child,  is  what  neither  Angels  nor  men 
could  have  imagined  !  And  what  led  the  Son  of  God  to 
such  depths  of  humiliation  ?  His  love  for  us — "  God  of 
God,  light  of  light.  True  God  of  true  God,  begotten,  not 
made,  consubstantial  with  the  Father,  by  whom  all  things 
were  made,  who  for  us  men  and  for  our  salvation  came 
down  from  heaven,  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  made  man." 

The  Incarnation  is  therefore  caused  by  love — St. 
Mechtilde  states  the  truth  with  both  strength  and  grace. 
She  personifies  love  under  the  form  of  a  Virgin,  and  it 
is  this  Virgin  who  steals  from  the  Heart  of  God  His 
Son  eternal  and  Almighty  as  Himself. 

We  will  give  her  own  words :  "  She  saw  in  the  Heart 
of  God  what  seemed  a  beautiful  Virgin,  who  had  in  her 
hand  a  diamond  ring  with  which  she  constantly  touched 
the  Heart  of  God.  The  soul  asked  the  Virgin  why  she 
so  touched  the  divine  Heart  and  she  replied :  "  I  am  divine 

12 


LOPE—THE  REASON  OF  THE  INCARNATION  13 

Love,  and  this  diamond  represents  Adam's  sin,  and  as 
blood  is  used  with  which  to  break  the  diamond,  so  Adam's 
faults  can  only  be  obliterated  by  the  Incarnation  and 
blood  of  Christ.  As  soon  as  Adam  had  sinned,  I  inter 
vened  and  prevented  the  consequences  of  this  fault. 
I  incessantly  touched  the  Heart  of  God,  moving  it  to 
pity,  and  left  it  no  peace  until  I  had  taken  the  Son  of 
God  from  the  bosom  of  the  Father  and  placed  Him  in 
the  womb  of  Mary  His  Mother  "  (II.  xvii.  i). 

What  a  delightful  thought  !  The  love  of  God  seized 
Adam's  sin,  blacker  than  coal,  and  made  of  it  a  precious 
diamond  !  With  this  sin  so  transformed  it  touched  the 
Heart  of  God  and  caused  the  greatest  of  wonders,  the 
Incarnation  of  the  Divine  Word.  Holy  Church,  which 
had  already  declared  this  thought  in  the  Symbol  of  the 
Creed,  developed  it  still  further  in  the  Hymn  for  the 
feast  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  Are  not  the  two  following 
stanzas  a  remembrance  of  St.  Mechtilde's  revelations  ? 

Amor  coegit  te  tuus 
Mortale  corpus  sumere, 
Ut  novus  Adam  redderes 
Quod  vetus  ille  abstulerat. 


Ille  amor,  almus  artifex 
Terrae,  marisque  et  siderum, 
Errata  patrum  miserans 
Et  nostra  rumpens  vincula. 


"  It  was  Thy  love  which  forced  Thee  to  take  upon  Thee  a  mortal 
Body  in  order  to  restore  to  us,  O  second  Adam  !  what  the  first  had 
caused  us  to  lose. 

"  It  was  this  love,  O  Sovereign  Creator  of  the  earth,  the  sea  and  the 
heavens !  that  pitied  the  fall  of  our  first  parents  and  broke  the  chains 
of  our  slavery." 

Love  alone  overcame  the  power  of  divine  Majesty. 
He,  so  to  say,  abased  His  unfathomable  Wisdom;  He  then 
poured  out  His  Goodness,  tempered  the  rigour  of  His 
Justice,  changed  it  into  mercy  and  then  lowered  the 


i4   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

Greatness  of  God  down  to  the  misery  of  our  exile.  The 
Incarnate  Word  could  therefore  say  to  St.  Mechtilde: 
"  I  am  the  Son  of  Love  and  Love  is  My  Mother  "  (i.  35); 
and  the  Angels  rightly  hailed  Him,  saying:  "  We  praise 
Thee  for  ever,  whom  love  has  made  the  Son  of  a 
Virgin"  (i.  12). 


CHAPTER  II 
LOVE  ALWAYS  LEADS  TO  JESUS 

EnS,  which  caused  the  Son  of  God  to  come  down  on 
the  earth  will  leave  Him  no  more  but  will  be  the 
moving  power  of  all  He  does.  So,  the  Virgin  who 
had  personified  Love,  told  St.  Mechtilde  that  she  had 
led  Mary  to  go  to  the  hill  country  to  visit  St.  Elizabeth. 
In  his  mother's  womb  St.  John  was  filled  with  so  great 
a  joy  at  the  presence  of  Christ  that  he  never  thrilled  with 
earthly  joy. 

And  then  Love  continued:  "  I  first  helped  His  Holy 
Mother  with  my  pure  hands  to  wrap  Him  in  swaddling 
clothes.  I  warmed  Him  in  my  embrace:  and  then  and 
afterwards  I  rendered  to  Him  and  His  Mother  all  the 
services  they  needed.  Afterwards  I  led  Him  to  Egypt, 
and  then  I  inspired  Him  in  all  He  did  or  suffered  for  man 
until  I  had  fastened  Him  to  the  tree  of  the  Cross.  There 
I  appeased  God's  anger  entirely  and  united  man  to  Gcd 
by  the  chain  of  an  indissoluble  love." 

St.  Paul  says :  Dilexit  me  et  tradidit  semetipsum  pro  me — 
"  Christ  Jesus  loved  me  and  gave  Himself  for  me  "  as  a 
Victim  on  the  Cross.  But  as  love  was  always  the  cause 
of  His  gifts  we  may  extend  this  conclusion  and  say: 
Jesus  Christ  loved  me,  therefore  He  gives  me  His  Body 
and  Blood  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  His  Mother  from  the 
Cross,  His  grace  in  the  Holy  Sacraments,  His  light  in  the 
Gospel,-  the  Church  for  a  Mother,  the  priesthood  for  a 
support,  and  heaven  for  a  reward. 

Love  still  opens  the  Sacred  Heart  so  that  it  may  pour 
down  on  us  all  its  treasures. 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  FOUR  BEATINGS  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

FROM  the  first  instant  of  His  conception  until  His 
death  Love  reigned  as  King  over  the  Son  of  God 
made  man.  This  Love  had  its  counterpart  in  the 
Sacred  Heart.  One  Christmas  day  Mechtilde  was 
allowed  to  fathom  this  secret.  Taking  the  Infant  God 
in  her  arms  she  pressed  Him  to  her  breast,  and  felt  the 
beatings  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  She  heard  three  loud, 
quick  beats,  then  one  lighter.  Mechtilde  was  astonished. 
The  divine  Infant  said  to  her:  "  My  heart  did  not  beat 
like  those  of  other  men,  but  always  as  you  have  heard  it, 
from  My  infancy  until  My  death,  and  this  was  why  I 
died  so  quickly  on  the  Cross.  The  first  beat  comes  from 
the  Almighty  'power  of  My  love  which  was  so  strong  in  me 
that  by  sweetness  and  patience  it  conquered  the  opposi 
tion  of  the  world  and  the  cruelty  of  the  Jews.  The 
second  beat  comes  from  a  love  full  of  wisdom  ;  it  led  Me 
to  conduct  Myself  and  all  that  was  Mine  so  admirably, 
and  to  regulate  all  that  is  in  heaven  or  on  earth  so  wisely. 
The  third  comes  from  a  love  of  mildness — I  was  so  entirely 
penetrated  with  it,  that  for  Me  it  changed  this  world's 
bitterness  into  sweetness,  and  caused  Me  even  to  find 
sweet  the  hard  death  I  bore  for  the  salvation  of  men. 
The  last  beat,  more  faint,  expresses  the  kindness  I  showed 
as_man,  which  rendered  Me  agreeable^to  aft,  and  even 
imitable." 

And  so  the  Sacred  Heart  enshrines  an  almighty,  a  most 
wise,  and  an  infinitely  sweet  love  of  God  as  well  as  an 
agreeable  and  human  love. 


16 


CHAPTER  IV 

'THE  SOLICITUDE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART  FOR 
THE  SALVATION  OF  SOULS 

THE  Prophet  said  of  the  future  Messias  Exultavit  ut 
g-igas — "He  hath  rejoiced  as  a  giant."  Thinking  of 
these  words,  Mechtilde  asked  our  Lord  to  explain 
them  to  her.  Our  Lord  at  once  appeared  in  the  heavens 
to  her  like  a  young  man,  slender,  agile,  and  very  beautiful. 
He  said:  "  Whoever  starts  on  a  long  and  difficult  course 
must  gather  his  garments  closely  round  him  so  as  not  to 
be  retarded.  In  this  way  I  united  Myself  closely  with 
human  nature  and  liability  to  pain,  reducing  the  length 
of  eternity  to  the  shortness  of  man's  life  here  below.  I 
darted  forward  as  a  giant,  in  all  his  strength,  having  this 
difficult  and  painful  course  to  run,  wherein  I  should 
accomplish  the  redemption  of  mankind.  Again,  he  who 
carries  something  precious  and  of  great  value  girds  himself 
carefully,  for  fear  he  should  lose  it,  so  I  am  carrying  the 
precious  treasure,  man's  soul,  and  have  girded  Myself 
with  care,  and  I  carry  the  souls  of  all  those  who  are  to 
be  saved,  with  love  and  untold  desires,  in  My  Heart." 

He  who  like  a  giant  sprang  from  heaven  to  save  souls, 
transformed  by  love,  became  the  Good  Shepherd  seeking 
the  lost  sheep.  The  young  man,  slender  and  agile,  has 
to  take  the  part  of  the  Father  of  the  family  going  to  meet 
the  prodigal  son  and  preparing  a  banquet  at  his  son's 
return*  Who  could  describe  the  ardent  desires  of  the 
Heart  of  Jesus  for  the  salvation  of  souls  ?  "  Come  here 
and  rest  at  My  feet,"  He  said  one  day  to  Mechtilde; 
obeying  at  once,  she  rested  her  head  on  Jesus'  feet,  so  that 
her  ear  was  just  over  the  wound  in  His  foot,  and  there  she 
heard  the  sound  as  of  water  boiling  in  the  wound.  Our 

I7  2 


1 8   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

Lord  asked  her  what  was  the  sound  she  heard.  Mechtilde 
thought  she  could  not  tell,  and  our  Lord  continued: 
"This  boiling  caldron  seems  to  say:  Hasten!  hasten! 
So  the  ardent  love  of  My  heart  ever  urged  me  on,  saying: 
Hasten  from  labour  to  labour,  from  town  to  town,  from 
preaching  to  preaching,  never  allowing  Me  any  rest, 
until  I  had  done  all  that  was  necessary  for  thy  salvation." 


CHAPTER  V 

GOOD  WORDS— WITNESSES  OF  THE  LOVE  OF 
THE  SACRED  HEART 

AL  Christ's  works  originated  in  His  Heart.  From 
this  fruitful  and  loving  Heart,  as  He  Himself  says, 
flows  and  will  flow  without  ceasing  every  good,  all 
joy  and  happiness  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  In  the  same 
way  all  the  good  words  contained  in  the  Gospels  come 
from  this  sacred  source. 

He  wishes  St.  Mechtilde  to  understand  this.  "  He 
opened  to  her  the  wound  in  His  Holy  Heart  and  said  to 
her:  {  See  the  extent  of  My  love.  If  thou  wouldst 
know  it  well,  seek  for  nothing  clearer  than  the  words  of 
the  Holy  Gospels.  No  words  have  ever  expressed  a 
more  tender  love  than  those — "  As  the  Father  hath  loved 
Me,  I  also  have  loved  you  "  (John  xv.  9).  And  there  are 
many  others  like  them,  which  I  spoke  to  My  disciples 
as  well  as  to  My  Father,  while  loading  them  with  My 
benefits.'  " 

Nothing  can  really  express  the  immensity  of  the  love 
the  Sacred  Heart  has  for  us  better  than  these  words — "  As 
the  Father  hath  loved  Me."  We  are  loved  by  Jesus  as 
He  is  loved  by  His  Father.  That  is,  He  is  loved  above 
all,  He  is  loved  so  as  to  be  the  object  of  His  eternal  com 
placency.  "  This  is  My  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased." 

There  are  still  other  words  which  reveal  the  greatness 
of  the  love  of  the  Sacred  Heart — "  the  four  words  of 
the  voice  of  His  glory,"  as  He  calls  them  Himself.  They 
are  each  a  triumphal  hymn  of  the  Sacred  Heart;  they  are 
more,  they  are  a  proclamation  of  His  love.  Let  us  listen 
to  our  Lord: 


20   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

"  This  is  the  voice  of  My  glory.  When  a  soul  repents 
of  its  sins  more  through  love  than  through  fear,  and  weeps 
for  the  sins  it  has  committed,  it  deserves  to  hear  these 
words  from  Me:  *  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,  go  in  peace  ' 
(Luke  vii.  48).  And,  indeed,  as  soon  as  anyone  repents 
sincerely  of  the  sins  he  has  committed,  I  fully  forgive 
him  and  receive  him  into  My  favour  as  though  he  had 
never  offended  Me. 

"  The  second  voice  of  My  glory  is  that  which  a  soul 
united  to  Me  by  intimate  prayer  and  contemplation  hears 
from  Me:  '  Come,  My  beloved,  show  Me  thy  face.* 

"  The  third  is  when  a  soul  about  to  leave  the  body  is 
sweetly  invited  to  rest :  *  Come,  My  elect,  and  I  will 
make  of  thee  My  throne  '  (Office  of  Virgins). 

"  The  fourth  voice  of  My  glory  shall  be  heard  on  the 
Day  of  Judgment,  when  I  will  invite  with  triumph  to  My 
Kingdom  of  honour  and  glory  all  those  whom  I  have 
chosen  from  all  eternity.  I  shall  say  to  them :  '  Come  ye 
blessed  of  My  Father,  possess  the  Kingdom  prepared  for 
you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  '  "  (Matt.  xxv.  34). 

The  words  of  glory  of  the  Sacred  Heart  are  those  which 
make  us  happy. 


CHAPTER  VI 
'THE  TEARS  OF  OUR  LORD 

WE  are  never  told  in  the  Gospels  that  Jesus  smiled, 
but  we  often  hear  that  He  wept.    He  wept  at  the 
grave  of  Lazarus,  an  image  of  a  soul  dead  in  sin; 
and  He  wept  over  Jerusalem,  the  ungrateful  and  hardened 
city;  and  at  other  times  tears  fell  from  the  eyes  of  our 
divine  Master.     Why  did  these  tears  flow,   and  what 
became  of  them  ?     Let  us  listen  to  Jesus : 

"  On  earth,  whenever  I  thought  of  My  ineffable  union 
with  the  Eternal  Father  by  which  I  am  One  with  Him, 
My  humanity  could  not  refrain  from  weeding.  Also 
every  time  I  thought  of  the  immense  love  which  had 
drawn  Me  from  the  Father's  bosom  to  unite  Me  with 
human  nature,  My  humanity  was  fain  to  weep."  Then 
Mechtilde  asked:  "  And  where  are  those  tears  which  love 
made  Thee  shed  ?"  He  answered :  "  They  are  in  a  special 
place  in  My  Heart,  they  are  a  loved  treasure,  guarded  in 
a  chosen,  secret  place."  She  replied:  "Thou  didst  tell 
me  once  that  these  tears  of  love  disappeared  in  Thy 
Heart  as  in  a  furnace."  Our  Lord  replied:  "That  is 
quite  true,  for  in  the  furnace  of  My  Heart  they  disappear 
as  drops  of  water  thrown  into  the  fire,  but  they  are  not 
consumed,  they  remain  in  the  depth  of  My  Heart." 

The  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  is  therefore  the  source  of 
the  tears  He  shed  while  here  below  and  the  mysterious 
reserv6ir  which  received  and  guards  them  even  now  in 
heaven. 

"  Jesus,  O  most  loving  Jesus,"  cries  out  Mgr.  Baudry, 
"  how  long  have  I  begged  of  Thy  Heart  the  secret  of 
those  tears  Thou  didst  shed  on  earth  !  Have  I  not 
wept  enough  to  deserve  to  be  told  the  value  of  those  tears  ? 

21 


22   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

"  Sweet  as  the  dew  from  Heaven  and  bitter  as  the  waters 
of  the  ocean,  tears  are  equally  a  sign  of  joy  or  of  sadness, 
and  because  both  these  feelings  come  from  the  heart, 
it  follows  that  tears  are  but  the  words  of  the  heart,  the 
exterior  manifestation  of  what  it  feels  within  "  (Mgr. 
Baudry,  434). 

The  love  of  Jesus  for  His  Father,  the  love  of  Jesus  for 
men,  was  then  the  cause  of  His  tears — tears  of  joy  because 
of  the  glory  He  was  about  to  procure  for  His  Father  and 
the  salvation  He  was  bringing  to  the  world  by  His  sacri 
fice,  tears  of  sadness  on  account  of  the  insults  continually 
offered  to  that  well-beloved  Father  and  because  of  the 
ingratitude  of  which  mankind  was  guilty. 

The  tears  of  Jesus  were  gathered  together  and  are  kept 
in  His  Heart.  Notwithstanding  the  burning  flames  of 
which  that  Heart  is  the  seat,  they  are  not  consumed. 
Let  us  draw  near  to  the  precious  treasure  which  contains 
them.  Somewhere  there  we  shall  find  a  tear  shed  for 
ourselves,  but  let  us  bring  our  own  so  that  they  may  be 
sanctified,  even  those  we  shed  for  frivolous  reasons. 
"  Thou  shalt  say  to  the  person  for  whom  Thou  prayest," 
said  our  Lord  one  day  to  St.  Mechtilde,  "  that  she  should 
not  weep  so  much,  but  if  she  cannot  help  doing  so  that 
she  should  unite  her  tears  to  Mine,  regretting  that  she 
had  not  shed  them  for  sinners  or  through  love.  I  will 
then  offer  them  to  the  Father,  united  to  Mine,  when  she 
asks  me  to  do  so."  Our  Lord  continued:  "Tell  her 
from  Me,  that  she  should  beg  Me  in  My  goodness  to 
change  the  nature  of  her  tears  as  if  they  had  been  shed 
from  love  or  devotion,  or  from  contrition  for  her  sins." 

At  these  words  St.  Mechtilde  wondered  much  that 
tears  shed  so  uselessly  could  be  changed  into  such  holy 
tears. 

And  our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  I  ask  her  only  to  believe 
in  My  goodness,  and  according  to  her  faith  My  love  in  her 
shall  become  perfect." 


THE  TEARS  OF  OUR  LORD  23 

Let  us  therefore  take  our  tears  to  the  Heart  of  Jesus. 
Mingled  with  His,  they  will  become  meritorious.  Is  it 
not  a  consolation  for  those  who  weep  to  be  able  to  do  so 
on  the  heart  of  a  sincere  and  sympathizing  friend? 
Where,  then,  shall  we  find  a  friend  whose  heart  is  more 
devoted  to  us  than  is  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  ? 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  HEART  OF  JESUS  AND  THE  WELL- 
BELOVED  APOSTLE 

ST.  JOHN  has  called  himself  "the  disciple 
whom  Jesus  loved."  He  had  a  meek  and  gentle 
heart  and  through  his  relationship  to  our  Lord 
was  intimate  with  Him  from  his  infancy.  One  day 
Mechtilde  was  anxious  to  know  if  our  Lord  had  renewed 
His  intimacy  with  his  relatives  on  His  return  from  Egypt. 
He  replied:  "How  comes  it,  thinkest  thou,  that  it  is 
said  in  the  Holy  Gospels :  *  They  sought  Him  amongst 
their  kinsfolk  and  acquaintance,'  if  I  was  not  sometimes 
with  them  ?  And  how  came  it,  thinkest  thou  again,  that 
St.  John  the  Evangelist  was  so  prompt  in  following  Me, 
when  I  called  him,  after  the  marriage,  if  My  manner  of 
life  and  character  had  not  pleased  him,  for  he  knew  Me 
well,  which  made  his  obedience  in  following  Me  so  easy." 
If  Jesus  loved  St.  John  more  than  the  other  apostles, 
was  it  not  because  St.  John  loved  Him  more  than  did  his 
companions  ?  For  this  reason  he  was  allowed  to  rest  his 
head  on  the  breast  of  his  divine  Master  at  the  Last  Supper. 
In  ecstasy  at  such  a  grace  Mechtilde  asked  our  Lord 
how  she  could  show  her  love  and  praise  Him  on  His 
disciple's  account.  "  First,  thou  shalt  praise  Me,"  replied 
Jesus,  "  on  account  of  the  nobility  of  his  birth,  for  he 
belongs  to  My  family,  the  most  noble  on  the  earth; 
second,  that  I  called  him  from  the  marriage  to  the  apos- 
tolate;  third,  that  he  deserved  to  see  the  beauty  of  My 
face  on  the  mountain  in  preference  to  others;  fourth, 
that  at  the  Last  Supper  he  deserved  to  rest  on  My  breast; 
fifth,  that  he  more  than  others  received  the  gift  of  know 
ledge,  so  that  he  was  able  to  write  for  others  the  prayer 

24 


THE  HEART  OF  JESUS  AND  THE  APOSTLE     25 

I  said  on  the  Mount  of  Olives ;  sixth,  because  by  particular 
love,  I,  on  the  Cross,  gave  him  My  Mother  to  guard; 
seventh,  that  after  My  Resurrection  I  gave  him  special 
lights,  which  caused  him  to  recognize  Me  when,  driven 
before  the  storm,  he  cried  out  with  the  other  disciples : 
'  It  is  the  Lord  '  (John  xxi.  7);  eighth,  that  by  a  special 
privilege,  due  to  My  love,  I  revealed  to  Him  My  mysteries 
when  he  wrote  the  Apocalypse,  and  through  My  divine 
inspiration  he  was  able  to  write  in  his  Gospel :  '  In  the 
beginning  was  the  Word,'  which  truth  was  unknown  to 
the  Prophets  and  to  other  men;  ninth,  that,  for  My 
glory,  he  drank  poison ;  tenth,  that  in  My  Name  he  worked 
many  miracles  and  raised  the  dead;  eleventh,  that  I 
rejoiced  him  by  My  many  appearances  and  that  I  invited 
him  to  My  banquet  with  his  brothers;  twelfth,  that  I 
exempted  him  from  all  bodily  pains  and  led  him  gloriously 
from  this  exile  to  eternal  joy." 

The  Sacred  Heart  not  only  willed  to  reward  his  well- 
beloved  disciple  while  on  earth,  but  He  has  also  raised  him 
to  a  high  degree  of  glory  in  heaven.  "  St.  John  received 
in  all  his  faculties  something  higher  than  all  the  other 
saints.  His  eyes  see  more  clearly  the  inaccessible  light 
of  the  divinity.  His  ears  catch  more  quickly,  for  the 
nourishment  of  his  soul,  the  sweet  whisper  which  comes 
from  God.  His  mouth  and  tongue  taste  greater  sweet 
ness.  But  above  all  his  heart  burns  with  a  more  delicious 
love  of  God  and  springs  with  freer  and  more  sublime 
flights  into  the  most  inaccessible  heights  of  the  divinity." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  EXCHANGES  BETWEEN   THE  HEART  OF 
JESUS  AND  OUR  HEARTS 

ON  one  Good  Friday  St.  Mechtilde  asked  herself 
what  worthy  thanksgiving  she  could  give  to  our 
Lord  for  His  wounds,  especially  for  that  in  the 
Sacred  Heart.  "What  kind  of  thanksgiving  ought  we  to 
offer  Thee,  dearest  Lord,  for  being  wounded  on  the  Cross 
for  men,  when  love  pierced  Thy  compassionate  Heart  with 
the  arrow  of  an  invincible  charity?  What  shall  we  do 
when  blood  and  water  gushed  forth  to  cure  us,  and  when 
Thou  didst  die  the  death  of  love  vanquished  by  the  love 
Thou  bearest  Thy  Spouse  ?" 

Our  Lord  replied:  "  Let  man  conform  his  will  to  Mine, 
and  in  all  and  above  all  let  My  will  be  everything  to  him." 

And  our  Lord  added:  "  I  tell  thee  truly  I  accept  tears 
shed  over  My  Passion,  as  if  they  were  death  suffered  for 
Me." 

O  Jesus,  shall  the  tears  of  my  eyes  be  as  precious  to 
Thee  as  the  blood  of  Thy  Heart  ? 

"  What  shall  I  do,  Lord,  to  obtain  these  tears  ?"  Our 
Lord  replied:  "  I  will  teach  thee.  Think  first  of  the  love 
and  friendliness  with  which  I  went  forth  to  meet  My 
enemies.  They  sought  to  kill  Me  with  swords  and  clubs, 
as  though  I  were  a  robber  and  a  malefactor,  and  I  went 
to  meet  them  as  a  mother  goes  before  her  son  to  save  him 
from  the  fangs  of  the  wolf.  Then,  as  they  struck  Me 
without  pity,  I  returned  their  blov\s  with  as  many 
affectionate  kisses  to  those  who  should  be  saved  through 
the  merits  of  My  Passion  to  the  last  day.  Afterwards, 
while  they  scourged  me  so  cruelly,  I  prayed  so  efficaciously 
for  them  to  My  Heavenly  Father  that  many  of  them  were 

26 


THE  HEART  OF  JESUS  AND  OUR  HEARTS    27 

converted.  When  they  pressed  the  crown  of  thorns  on 
My  head,  I  counted  the  thorns  that  pierced  Me,  so  that 
I  might  place  as  many  precious  stones  in  their  crown. 
When  they  nailed  Me  to  the  Cross  and  stretched  out 
My  Body  so  that  My  bones  and  sinews  could  be  counted, 
I  employed  My  divine  power  to  draw  to  Myself  the  souls 
of  those  that  were  predestined  to  eternal  life.  This  was 
to  accomplish  what  I  had  already  said:  '  When  I  shall  be 
lifted  up  I  shall  draw  all  things  to  Myself.'  When  at 
last  the  spear  opened  My  side,  I  drew  from  My  Heart  a 
life-giving  drink  for  all  those  who  had  drunk  of  death  in 
Adam.  I  caused  them  to  become  children  of  eternal 
life  and  salvation  in  Me  who  am  Life." 

How  beautiful  are  these  words !  The  Sacred  Heart 
of  Jesus  embraces  souls  when  Judas  came  to  give  Him  a 
traitorous  kiss  !  The  Sacred  Heart  prays  for  those  who 
scourge  Him.  The  Sacred  Heart  exchanges  the  thorns  of 
His  Crown  for  precious  stones  for  ours !  But  the  last  words 
are  especially  delightful.  We  have  all  drunk  of  the  cup 
of  Adam's  heart  and  we  have  in  our  veins  an  impure, 
tainted  blood,  full  of  pride  and  the  rebellion  of  concu 
piscence,  passion,  sin  and  death,  but  from  the  cup  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  we  drink  of  a  precious  Blood,  full  of 
humility,  obedience,  sanctity,  and  eternal  life.  Let  us 
drink  our  fill. 


CHAPTER  IX 

HOW  OUR  LORD  PIERCED  MAGDALEN'S  REAM 
DURING  THE  PASSION 

FAITHFUL  souls   followed   our   Lord   when    the 
disciples  took  flight.     Later  on,  the  Sacred  Heart 
was  to  ask  for  consolation  to  repair  so  many  injuries 
and  so  much  ingratitude,  but  first  it  loaded  them  with 
great  graces.     The  most  highly  privileged  was  St.  Mary 
Magdalen :  she  was  also  the  most  loving. 

On  the  day  of  St.  Mary  Magdalen's  feast,  Mechtilde 
saw  our  Lord  sweetly  folding  the  humble  penitent  to 
His  Sacred  Heart.  Mechtilde  was  astonished,  remember 
ing  the  words,  "  and  incorruption  bringeth  near  to  God  " 
(Wisd.  vi.  20)  and  here  was  Magdalen  !  But  our 
Lord  reassured  Mechtilde :  "  The  intensity  of  love  that 
she  bore  Me  on  earth,"  He  said,  "  is  the  measure  of  the 
union  which  associates  her  with  Me  in  heaven." 

And  Mechtilde  cried:  "Oh,  dearest  Lord,  teach  me 
how  I  may  praise  Thee  as  the  loving  Saint  does."  Our 
Lord  replied:  "  You  must  do  it  in  the  five  wounds  that 
love  imprinted  in  her  soul  at  the  time  of  My  Passion. 
When  I  was  hanging  on  the  Cross  and  near  the  end, 
seeing  My  eyes,  which  had  so  often  looked  with  mercy 
on  her,  about  to  close  in  death,  Magdalen's  heart  was 
pierced  as  with  a  sharp  arrow.  She  also  saw  death  about  to 
close  My  ears  which  had  so  often  listened  to  her  petitions ; 
she  witnessed  the  sorrow  and  tears  of  My  Mother  whom 
she  tenderly  loved  for  My  sake.  She  then  received 
another  wound  in  her  breast  which  was  moved  by  com 
passion.  She  then  saw  My  lips,  which  had  so  often  said 
kind  words  to  instruct  and  console  her,  above  all  those 
words  '  Thy  faith  has  made  thee  safe,  go  in  peace  ' 

28 


ST.  MART  MAGDALEN'S  HEART          29 

(Luke  vii.  50),  grow  white  in  death  and  become  incapable 
of  speech.  She  again  felt  her  heart  pierced.  Shortly 
afterwards,  seeing  My  Heart  and  being  moved  again  to 
great  love  for  Me,  her  heart  was  pierced  again.  And  at 
last,  when  she  saw  Me,  her  life,  her  joy  and  all  her  treasure, 
without  whom  she  seemed  unable  to  live,  dead  and  laid 
in  the  tomb,  her  soul  dying,  so  to  speak,  by  the  violence 
of  its  love,  succumbed  under  inexpressible  sorrow." 

Mechtilde  saw  Magdalen  standing  before  our  Lord. 
Her  burning  heart  shone  with  the  brightness  of  the  sun 
and  illumined  her  whole  body.  Heaven  showed  her  that 
this  fire  had  been  kindled  in  Magdalen's  heart  for  the  first 
time  when  she  heard  Christ  say:  "  Thy  sins  are  forgiven 
thee,  go  in  peace  "  (Luke  vii.  50).  It  was  so  strong  in 
her  that  from  that  time  all  her  thoughts  and  actions 
were  changed  into  it.  Mechtilde  also  understood  that 
in  every  soul  consumed  by  divine  love  all  its  actions, 
thoughts,  or  sufferings,  like  branches  thrown  into  the 
fire,  are  changed  into  the  fire  of  love  and  increase  it  con 
stantly  by  feeding  it.  If  also  other  combustible  matter, 
such  as  venial  sin,  is  thrown  in  it  is  also  consumed  and 
destroyed.  This  soul  would  be  entirely  aflame,  and  on 
leaving  the  body  the  evil  spirits  would  not  dare  to 
approach  it.  But  they  who  are  not  burning  with  this 
fire,  I  mean  divine  love,  whatever  they  may  do,  will  not 
be  able  to  destroy  their  sins.  The  evil  they  do  will 
weigh  them  down  and  be  a  heavy  load  at  the  hour 
of  death. 

According  to  this  doctrine,  with  what  a  great  love  must 
Magdalen's  heart  have  been  filled  1  This  holy  fire  had 
been  enkindled  on  the  day  she  was  forgiven,  but  it  had 
grown  every  day  while  she  followed  Jesus,  listened  to 
His  words,  and  imitated  His  virtues.  What  had  it  become 
after  she  had  received  the  five  wounds  in  her  heart  at 
the  time  of  the  Passion  ?  What  was  it  after  our  Lord's 
appearance  to  her  on  the  morning  of  the  Resurrection  ? 


30   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

What  was  it  at  the  end  of  Magdalen's  life  after  her  long 
years  of  penance  in  the  Cave  of  St.  Baume  ? 

She  is  one  of  the  lovers  of  the  Sacred  Heart  and  her 
mission  is  to  gain  for  it  disciples  from  amongst  the  lost 
sheep.  And  Mechtilde  teaches  us  how  it  is  done:  "  She 
seemed  to  see,  springing  from  our  Lord's  feet,  two  trees 
covered  with  leaves  and  fruit,  signifying  the  fruits  of 
penance  that  Magdalen  gathered,  and  distributed  with 
joy  to  all  who  sought  her  help."  Mechtilde  understood 
that  she  had  obtained  at  our  Lord's  feet  the  privilege 
of  obtaining  for  all  those  who  invoked  her  the  gift  of  true 
repentance,  and  St.  Mary  Magdalen  said  to  her:  "  Every 
one  who  gives  thanks  to  God  for  the  tears  I  shed  over  the 
feet  of  Christ,  and  for  my  having  washed  those  sacred  feet 
and  wiped  them  with  my  hair;  and  who  praises  Him  for 
the  love  He  then  poured  into  my  soul  and  heart,  so  in 
flaming  me  that  I  could  never  again  love  anything  else; 
and  begs  tears  of  true  repentance  and  the  infusion  of 
divine  love,  will  see  our  Lord  listen  willingly,  because  of 
my  merits,  to  his  pious  requests.  Before  death  his  sins 
will  be  forgiven  and  he  will  increase  in  the  love  of  God." 

Sinful  souls  who  have  sullied  your  hearts  like  Magdalen, 
do  you  not  feel  great  comfort  in  hearing  such  words  ? 
You,  too,  can  reach  the  Heart  of  God.  You  can  also  burn 
with  the  same  love  as  Magdalen  and  receive  the  same 
wounds  ! 

Prayer  to  St.  Mary  Magdalen. 

I  give  Thee  thanks,  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Son  of  the 
living  God,  for  all  the  tears  that  Blessed  Mary  Magdalen 
shed  at  Thy  feet,  for  washing  them  with  her  hands, 
wiping  them  with  her  hair,  and  for  the  love  with 
which  Thou  didst  so  entirely  inflame  her  body  and  soul, 
filling  her  heart  so  that  she  never  loved  any  other  thing 
than  Thyself.  Therefore,  I  beg  of  Thee,  Lord  Jesus, 
that  by  her  great  merits  Thou  wouldst  grant  me  the  tears 


PRATER  TO  ST.  MARY  MAGDALEN       31 

of  true  repentance  and  fill  me  with  Thy  divine  love,  so 
that  before  death  all  my  sins  may  be  forgiven  by  Thee, 
Jesus,  Saviour  of  the  World,  King  of  glory,  who  livest 
and  reignest  with  the  same  God,  Father  and  Holy  Spirit, 
world  without  end.  Amen. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  SACRED  HEART  AT  THE  TIME  OF  OUR 
LORD'S  DEATH 


E^E  led  our  Divine  Lord  in  the  way  of  sorrow  and 
kept  Him  in  it  until  death. 
St.  Mechtilde  asked  our  Lord  how  it  was  that  He 
had  expired  so  quickly,  after  three  beats  of  His  divine 
Heart.  He  answered  her:  "When  in  a  transport  of  joy 
the  Holy  Trinity  created  My  soul,  the  Three  Divine 
Persons  at  once  surrounded  it  with  Their  ineffable  love 
and  poured  Themselves  entirely  into  it,  thus  giving  to 
My  soul  all  They  possessed  —  the  Father,  His  almighty 
power;  the  Son,  His  uncreated  wisdom;  The  Holy  Spirit, 
His  goodness  and  love.  Then  My  soul  possessed  by  grace 
what  the  Divinity  possesses  by  nature.  At  that  moment 
the  divine  and  eternal  desire  which  the  Holy  Trinity  had 
always  entertained  to  unite  human  nature  to  the  Divinity, 
in  order  to  redeem  man,  filled  My  soul  with,  a  great  love 
and  urged  it  to  accomplish  the  task.  Also,  in  the  divine 
wisdom,  I  understood  with  a  perfectly  clear  vision  the 
glory  of  My  humanity  and  the  task  it  had  undertaken,  in 
consequence  of  which  I  had  to  devote  Myself  unsparingly 
to  the  salvation  of  men.  To  Me  the  thought  was  the 
cause  of  a  divine  joy  which  filled  My  whole  being.  The 
infusion  of  the  merciful  love  which  came  from  the  Holy 
Spirit  into  My  soul  disposed  and  animated  it  so  effectively 
towards  the  salvation  of  mankind  that  the  burden  seemed 
to  it  full  of  sweetness.  From  the  moment  of  My  concep 
tion  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  My  soul  was  united  to 
My  body,  this  divine  desire  was  controlled  by  almighty 
power,  and  the  joy  by  divine  wisdom,  and  the  strength 
of  its  love  was  sweetened  by  the  unction  of  the  Holy 


LOVE  BREAKS  THE  SACRED  HEART       33 

Spirit,  and  in  this  way  I  was  able  to  retain  the  breath  of 
My  temporal  life.  But  when  the  moment  of  My  death 
drew  near,  this  all-powerful,  wise  and  merciful  love,  which 
at  the  beginning  had  caused  my  heart  to  beat  with  so 
much  violence,  yielded  to  the  superior  strength  of  the 
divinity  and  allowed  free  course  to  My  desire  and  joy. 
My  heart  was  then  possessed  by  a  love  that  may  not  be 
compared  to  any  other,  for  it  was  greater  than  all  other 
loves.  The  separation  of  My  soul  from  My  body,  which 
no  other  hardships^  could  have  caused,  was  its  work." 

We  learn  from  this  that  our  Lord's  life  was  only 
possible  because  His  love  was  suppressed.  His  death 
therefore  was  caused  by  His  love  being  allowed  complete 
sway.  The  Sacred  Heart  could  not  contain  it.  It  broke, 
and  on  the  blood-stained  bed  of  the  Cross  Jesus,  like  His 
Mother,  died  of  love  only. 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  GLORIFICATION  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

THE  Sacred  Heart  had  been  pierced  by  the  lance, 
the  last  drops  of  blood  had  flowed,  the  body  of  the 
great  Victim  had  been  taken  down  from  the  Cross, 
embalmed   with   sweet   spices,    enclosed    in    the    tomb 
belonging  to  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  and  secured  by  the 
seals  of  the  High  Priest. 

At  the  dawn  of  the  third  day  the  holy  soul  of  our 
divine  Lord  was  reunited  to  the  mangled  body  and 
brought  with  it  all  the  privileges  of  a  glorious  resurrec 
tion,  brightness,  agility,  subtilty,  and  impassibility. 
The  risen  Jesus  will  sit  at  the  right  hand  of  His  Father, 
but  how  shall  His  Sacred  Heart  be  glorified  ?  "  The 
glorification  of  My  Heart  consisted  in  this,  that  God 
the  Father  gave  Me  all  power  in  heaven  and  on  earth. 
By  this  gift  I  became  all-powerful  in  My  humanity  as 
well  as  in  My  divinity.  I  could  reward,  honour  and 
elevate  My  friends  and  prove  My  love  for  them  with 
perfect  freedom.  The  glorification  of  My  eyes  and  ears 
gave  Me  the  power  to  penetrate  fully  into  all  the  needs 
and  sorrows  of  My  faithful  ones,  and  to  hear  and  grant 
their  desires  and  prayers.  My  entire  body  received  the 
power  as  a  privilege  of  this  glory,  to  be  everywhere  present 
in  My  humanity,  as  I  am  in  My  divinity  with  all  and  each 
of  My  friends,  wherever  I  wish,  a  privilege  that  no  other, 
however  powerful,  either  has  obtained,  or  could  obtain." 
In  this  way  the  glorification  of  the  Sacred  Heart  is  a 
power  at  the  service  of  its  friends,  and  it  sees  all  their 
needs  wherever  they  are.  The  glorification  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  is  again  the  work  of  Love. 

But  what  were  the  special  joys  of  this  adorable  Heart 
when  it  began  again   to  beat  in   the  Holy  Sepulchre, 

34 


GLORIFICATION  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART    35 

Our  Lord  deigned  to  make  them  known  to  His  humble 
Spouse  in  giving  her  a  foretaste  of  them  even  here  below. 

On  Easter  Sunday  evening  Jesus  appeared  to  Mechtilde 
and  said  to  her :  "  This  evening  I  am  come  to  serve  you  all. 
At  your  meal  I  would  serve  five  different  dishes. 

"  The  first  is  the  joy  My  divinity  received  on  this  day 
from  My  humanity  and  My  humanity  from  my  divinity. 

"  The  second,  the  joy  I  felt  when  in  the  place  of  all 
the  bitterness  that  love  poured  on  Me  during  my  Passion, 
it  now  spread  an  immeasurable  happiness  and  the  fulness 
of  its  joy  through  all  my  members. 

"  THe  third,  the  joy  I  felt  in  offering  to  My  Father 
the  most  precious  gift,  in  a  transport  of  delight.  I  mean 
My  soul  and  all  the  souls  I  had  just  redeemed. 

"  The  fourth,  the  joy  I  experienced  when  My  Father 
gave  Me  the  power  to  honour,  enrich  and  reward  the 
friends  whom  I  had  redeemed  with  so  much  pain  and  at 
so  great  a  cost. 

"  The  fifth,  the  joy  I  felt  in  seeing  My  Father  associate 
with  Me,  in  the  everlasting  glory  of  My  throne,  those 
whom  I  had  redeemed,  making  them  coheirs  with  Me 
and  guests  at  My  table.  Other  kings,  after  having  dined 
with  their  friends,  leave  them  once  the  repast  is  over, 
but  My  friends  will  remain  with  Me  eternally. 

"  To  everyone  who  shall  remind  Me  of  these  joys, 
for  the  first,  provided  he  desires  it  before  death,  I  will 
give  him  a  foretaste  of  My  divinity.  For  the  second,  I 
will  give  him  the  gift  of  knowledge.  For  the  third,  I  will 
offer  his  soul  to  My  Father  at  the  hour  of  his  death.  For 
the  fourth,  I  will  share  with  him  My  labours  and  the 
fruit  of,all  My  sufferings,  and  for  the  fifth,  I  will  associate 
him  in  the  happiness  of  the  Saints." 

It  will  be  instructive  to  compare  this  revelation  made 
to  St.  Mechtilde  in  the  thirteenth  century  with  a  page 
written  in  the  nineteenth  by  a  learned  and  pious  bishop 
on  the  mysteries  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus : 


36   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

"  To-day  while  giving  Himself  to  God  His  Father, 
and  to  His  Church,  Jesus  takes  possession  of  His  Kingdom. 
He  is  established  king  over  Sion,  His  holy  mountain 
(Ps.  ii.  6),  and  His  reign  is  the  reign  of  the  light  of  truth, 
which  He  spreads  through  the  world,  and  by  which  He 
subdues  it.  From  His  Heart,  whence  it  originated  and 
where  it  is  retained,  this  divine  light  spreads,  glorifying 
His  body,  and,  with  it,  His  Church. 

"  And  so,  for  Jesus  Himself,  He  must  reign.  He  made 
Himself  servant  to  His  Father;  He  delivered  to  Him  the 
kingdom  He  had  conquered  and  the  Father  established 
Him  King.  He  had  served  souls  in  redeeming  them, 
and  He  gave  Himself  to  them,  and  they  gave  themselves 
to  Him,  acknowledging  Him  as  their  only  Chief.  Truth 
is  His  kingdom,  and  truth  is  His  love,  which  sanctifies 
the  world  and  becomes  for  ever  its  law. 

"  And  such  to-day  is  the  part  played  by  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus.  It  grows  and  spreads  in  itself,  but  it  also 
grows  in  the  Church  to  which  it  communicates  its  life,  its 
holiness  and  its  glory. 

"  Ah,  what  zeal  fills  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  !  What 
charity  consumes  it !  And  yet  it  is  always  in  peace  and 
accomplishes,  with  a  calm  joy,  the  sublime  devotedness 
of  His  life.  Hitherto,  His  Heart  only  saw  in  God  an 
irritated  Judge,  now  it  finds  in  Him  a  Father,  full  of  kind 
ness.  He  saw  humanity  far  from  God,  covered  by  its 
sins,  buried  in  death;  now  it  rises  with  Him  from  the 
tomb.  He  clothes  Himself  with  our  human  nature  as  with 
a  mantle  of  glory,  in  order  to  appear  a  holy  and  eternal 
High  Priest,  before  His  Father.  His  Heart  feels  the  life 
which  abounds.  He  allows  it  to  overflow  and  spread 
abroad;  this  divine  Heart  expands;  He  lives,  who  was 
dead;  He  triumphs,  who  was  vanquished;  He  super- 
abounds  in  joy,  who  was  plunged  in  sadness,  weariness 
and  fear.  O  Jesus,  what  happy  moments  !  O  night, 
what  mysteries  !  Happy  Angels  who  behold  all  this, 
when  He  renewed  the  living  interchange  of  graces  between 


GLORIFICATION  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART    37 

heaven  and  earth,  when  the  soul,  violently  separated  from 
the  body  by  death,  was  happily  reunited  to  it  by  a  secret 
dispensation,  after  it  had  received  the  much-desired 
baptism  of  death.  Holy  Angels  who  witnessed  all  this — 
I  unite  myself  to  your  adoration,  to  your  love;  I  adore 
and  love  with  you. 

"  O  Heart,  how  pure  and  holy  thou  art  at  this  time ! 
May  I  dare  to  fix  my  gaze  on  thee  ? — I,  alas,  who  languish 
and  die  in  my  sins.  The  Heart  of  Jesus,  always  holy, 
always  united  to  God,  always  rejoicing  in  the  vision  of 
His  face,  receives  now  an  increase  of  beatitude  after 
which  He  had  long  sighed.  But,  independently  of  what 
He  felt  Himself,  and  of  what  He  enjoyed  as  the  personal 
reward  of  His  merits,  He  felt  then  all  the  happiness 
which  is  experienced  by  the  hearts  of  the  elect  when  they 
first  come  in  contact  with  the  divine  Essence  in  the  light 
of  glory.  He  saw,  in  that  instant,  what  the  Saints  see 
and  shall  see  by  Him,  and  He  concentrated  in  one  very 
pure  and  perfect  act  of  love  what  the  Saints  shall  for  ever 
possess  as  the  development  and  expression  of  the  mysteries 
of  His  life.  Then,  truly,  arose  in  His  Heart  what  God 
has  prepared  for  His  Saints — glory  and  joy,  ecstasies 
and  the  delights  abounding  in  the  hearts  of  Angels, 
patriarchs,  prophets,  apostles  and  the  just  of  all  times. 
Jesus  possessed  all  these  concentrated  in  all  their  fulness 
in  His  Heart. 

"  Oh,  blessedness  of  heart !  never  was  any  heart  more 
worthy  of  possessing  it !  Jesus,  Lord  and  God  of  heaven 
and  earth,  we  praise  Thee,  we  bless  Thee,  we  give  Thee 
thanks  for  having  revealed  Thy  glory,  for  having  clothed 
Thyself  with  Thy  divine  attributes  and  for  having  at 
length  ascended  that  throne  which  Thou  hadst  seemed 
to  have  abandoned !  When  Jesus  shall  appear  to  me  in 
the  glory  of  His  resurrection,  I  shall  be  like  Him,  for  I 
shall  see  Him  as  He  is,  and  my  heart  shall  then  be  in  His 
Heart,  inundated  with  His  joys,  which  shall  be  mine." 
(Mgr.  Baudry,  256-268.) 


CHAPTER  XII 

PRAISE  AND  SUPPLICATION— THE  FIVE  JOTS 

OF  THE  HEART  OF  JESUS  IN  HIS 

RESURRECTION 

A  the  Sacred  Heart  has  promised  to  reward  those 
who  should  honour  the  joys  of  His  resurrection, 
why  should  we  not  try  to  deserve  those  rewards  ? 
His  devoted  servant,  Mechtilde,  has  drawn  up  a  magnifi 
cent  prayer  in  honour  of  His  joys.  Let  us  say  it  with 
her,  especially  during  the  Paschal  octave: 

"  Praise,  adoration,  greatness,  glory  and  blessing  be  to 
Thee,  O  good  Jesus,  for  this  ineffable  joy,  felt  by  Thee 
in  Thy  blessed  Humanity,  when  Thy  Father  gave  it 
divine  glorification  at  Thy  resurrection  and  conferred 
on  all  the  elect  the  eternal  glorification  of  His  divinity. 
By  this  ineffable  joy  I  beg  of  Thee,  O  loving  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  to  keejp  for  me  in  its  integrity, 
by  Thy  grace,  this  glory  which  Thou  then  gavest  me,  so 
that  I  may  meet  it  again  at  the  day  of  Judgment.  Amen. 

"  Praise,  adoration,  greatness,  glory  and  blessing  be  to 
Thee,  O  good  Jesus,  for  another  ineffable  joy.  Thy 
boundless  charity  drew  Thee  from  the  bosom  of  the 
Father  into  this  world  where  Thou  didst  submit  to  all 
its  pains  and  miseries.  At  Thy  resurrection  this  joy 
filled  with  unutterable  happiness  and  gladness  all  Thy 
members,  which  on  the  Cross  had  been  wrung  with 
intolerable  pain.  By  this  unspeakable  joy,  I  beg  of  Thee, 

0  loving  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  to  enlighten 
my  mind  and  make  me  understand  my  own  soul,  so  that 

1  may  always  know  what  is  pleasing  to  Thee.     Amen. 

"  Praise,  adoration,  greatness,  glory  and  blessing  be  to 
Thee,  O  good  Jesus,  for  a  third  ineffable  joy.  It  was 

38 


PRAISE  AND  SUPPLICATION  39 

felt  by  Thy  holy  soul  when  it  presented  itself  to  God 
the  Father  as  the  price  and  pledge  of  eternal  redemption, 
followed  by  the  numberless  multitude  of  blessed  souls 
that  it  had  then  delivered  from  Limbo.  By  this  great 
joy,  I  beg  of  Thee,  O  loving  Mediator  between  God 
and  man,  to  be  the  ransom  of  my  soul  at  the  hour  of  my 
death,  the  sum  that  will  pay  all  my  debts,  appease  in  my 
favour  God  the  Father,  that  just  Judge,  and  conduct 
me  with  joy  into  His  presence.  Amen. 

"  Praise,  adoration,  greatness,  joy  and  blessing  be  to 
Thee,  O  good  Jesus,  for  another  glorious  joy.  Thou 
didst  experience  it  when  God  the  Father  gave  Thee  full 
power  to  reward,  enrich  and  honour  with  Thy  boundless 
liberality  all  thy  friends,  companions  in  the  fight,  whom 
Thou,  in  the  midst  of  Thy  glorious  triumph,  didst  deliver 
from  a  tyrannical  power.  By  this  marvellous  joy,  O 
loving  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  I  pray  Thee 
to  let  me  participate  in  all  Thy  labours  and  sufferings, 
and  also  in  Thy  glorious  death  and  blessed  resurrection. 
Amen. 

"  Praise,  adoration,  greatness,  glory  and  blessing  be  to 
Thee,  O  good  Jesus,  for  the  last  ineffable  joy  that  Thou 
hadst  when  Thy  Father  gave  Thee  all  Thy  friends  for 
Thy  eternal  inheritance  and  when  that  loving  request 
and  desire  was  fulfilled,  *  I  will  that  where  I  am,  they 
also  whom  Thou  hast  given  Me  may  be  with  Me  ' 
(John  xvii.  24).  By  this  request  all  joy  and  all  good, 
which  is  Thyself,  became  their  portion  for  ever.  By 
this  delicious  joy,  O  loving  Mediator  between  God  and 
man,  I  beg  of  Thee  to  associate  me  with  this  blessed 
compamy  of  Thy  elect,  so  that  I  may  possess  Thee  with 
them,  Thee,  all  my  joy  and  my  whole  good,  now  and 
in  eternity.  Amen." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

LOVE  BROUGHT  BACK  THE  SON  OF  GOD 
TO  HEAFEN 

ON  the  day  of  the  glorious  ascension  of  Christ,  our 
Saint  found  herself  placed  on  a  mountain.  Love 
appeared  to  her  under  the  appearance  of  a  very 
beautiful  virgin,  who  said  to  her:  "  I  am  she,  whom  thou 
didst  see  on  the  night  of  the  holy  nativity  of  Christ, 
surrounded  with  such  splendour.  It  was  I  who  caused 
the  Son  to  come  down  from  His  Father's  bosom  on  to 
the  earth,  and  who  now  make  Him  to  ascend  into 
heaven;"  and  Love,  taking  the  Lord  into  her  arms,  held 
Him  up  saying,  "  It  is  only  in  Thee  that  the  plenitude 
of  my  power  is  to  be  seen."  What  wonderful  words ! 
It  is  not  in  the  creation  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens  that 
God  has  manifested  the  power  of  His  love,  nor  in  the 
creation  of  man,  the  masterpiece  of  His  Hands,  nor  even 
in  Mary.  Love  raised  Thee  in  her  arms,  O  Mother  of 
God,  Immaculate  Virgin,  full  of  grace,  but  she  could  not 
say  "  In  Mary  I  have  shown  all  the  fulness  of  my  power." 
No,  it  was  necessary  that  Thou  shouldst  give  it  to  Thy 
Son,  Jesus,  our  Brother,  and  our  adorable  Saviour. 

The  Lord  Jesus  ascending  amidst  an  ineffable  and 
triumphant  jubilation  presents  Himself  before  God  the 
Father.  In  His  own  person  He  offers  to  Him  the  souls 
of  all  the  elect,  not  only  of  those  who  had  ascended  with 
Him,  but  also  those  who  should  do  so  later.  He  offered 
the  works  of  each,  its  sufferings  and  its  merits.  Those 
who  then  were  in  a  state  of  sin  appeared  each  as  they 
would  be  one  day  in  heaven.  Loving  souls  who  suffer 
great  things  for  Christ  with  patience  shone  in  His  Heart 
with  a  particular  brilliancy,  and  others  shone  in  different 
parts  of  His  body. 

40 


THE  SON  OF  GOD'S  OFFERING  41 

The  Heavenly  Father  received  His  Son  with  the 
greatest  honour  and  said  to  Him:  "  I  return  to  Thee  the 
boundless  happiness  Thou  didst  seem  to  abandon  in 
descending  to  the  exile  of  the  world,  and  I  grant  Thee 
full  power  to  communicate  the  same  unreservedly  to  all 
the  souls  whom  Thou  hast  just  now  presented  to  Me." 

Then  our  Lord  Jesus  offered  to  God  the  Father,  in  one 
offering,  all  the  poverty,  humiliations,  contempt,  pains, 
labours  and  other  works  of  His  sacred  Humanity.  It 
was  an  offering  very  pleasing  to  God;  never  had  such  a 
gift  entered  heaven.  He  offered  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
the  unheard-of  love  that  had  filled  His  most  holy  Heart 
by  spreading  abroad  the  sweetest  perfumes,  the  seven 
gifts  which  the  Holy  Spirit  had  poured  on  Him,  and 
which  He  had  caused  to  fructify  so  bountifully,  for  it  is 
really  only  in  Christ  that  the  Holy  Ghost  has  been  able 
to  make  His  gifts  bear  their  fruit  perfectly. 


THE  DEALINGS  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 
WITH  MEN 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    SACRED    HEART    MEDIATES    BETWEEN 
GOD  AND  MAN 

THE  Sacred  Heart  is  the  mediator  between  God 
and  man.     From  the  first  moment  of  His  Incarna 
tion,  His  Passion  was  always  in  the  Heart  of  Christ 
and   He   offered   it   unceasingly  to  His  Father:  Christi 
passio,  quee  ejus  Cordi  semper  exstitit  intima,  quam  adhuc 
Patri  repr&sentat,  -pro  homine  incessanter  interpellate." 

Our  Lord  in  heaven  continues  to  intercede  for  us.  He 
shows  His  eternal  Father  the  wounds  in  His  feet  and 
hands  and  above  all  the  wound  in  His  Sacred  Heart. 

To-day,  therefore,  our  Lord  exercises  the  office  of 
Mediator  for  each  one  of  us.  What  a  countless  number 
of  clients — all  sinners,  those  in  misery  and  suffering,  and 
the  dying,  struggling  in  their  agony  !  If  the  divine 
Pleader  has  a  few  good  causes  to  sustain,  how  many  are 
bad,  nearly  desperate  ?  What  solicitude  He  must  show 
and  what  resources  He  must  make  use  of,  not  only  before 
God,  but  as  to  His  unhappy  clients.  Who  would  not 
wish  to  see  the  Sacred  Heart  exercising  this  office  ?  How 
meek,  humble  and  patient,  and  especially  merciful,  He 
must  be !  St.  Mechtilde  had  this  great  happiness,  and 
she  can  describe  to  us  the  solicitude  and  vigilant  love 
of  our  Mediator  in  His  multiform  and  delicate  ministry. 

This  mediation  may  be  considered  in  reference  to  His 
Father  and  in  reference  to  us. 

4* 


THE  SACRED  HEART  MEDIATES          43 

In  reference  to  His  Father,  it  satisfies  all  the  require 
ments  of  His  justice. 

"  To  me,"  said  Jesus,  "  are  confided  the  concerns  of 
men  and  I  am  their  Mediator  with  the  Father.  A  faith 
ful  servant  collects  carefully  his  master's  income,  and  if 
he  finds  a  deficit  he  supplies  it  from  his  own  substance. 
In  this  way  I  offer  the  good  gained  by  man's  industry  to 
My  Father,  increased  a  hundredfold;  and  wherever  there 
is  any  imperfection,  I  supply  for  it,  so  that  I  may  present 
to  My  heavenly  Father,  before  all  the  Saints,  the  soul  of 
man  enriched  with  the  most  precious  graces." 

So  great  a  generosity  on  the  part  of  our  divine  Mediator 
fills  us  with  astonishment.  Not  only  does  He  pay  our 
debts,  but  He  wishes  to  enrich  us  !  How  this  conduct 
of  His  Sacred  Heart  disconcerts  our  souls,  always  inclined 
to  distrust  !  But  He  insists  still  further:  "  Come,  let  us 
see,  do  you  not  think  Me  sufficiently  rich  to  pay  all  your 
debts?"  To  which  Mechtilde  replied:  "Yes,  Lord,  I 
am  certain  Thou  canst." 

Our  Lord:  "Am  I  not  rich  enough  to  forgive  and 
supply  for  all  thy  omissions  ?" 

She  replied:  "  Yes,  Lord,  I  know  that  nothing  is  im 
possible  to  Thee."  "  Therefore,"  said  our  Lord,  "  I  will 
answer  fully  and  entirely  for  thee  to  My  Father.  I  will 
offer  for  thee  first  that  holy  time,  those  nine  months 
which  I  passed  in  My  virginal  Mother's  womb.  I  will 
offer  it  for  the  time  when  thou,  enclosed  in  thy  mother's 
womb  and  stained  with  original  sin,  wert  incapable  of 
receiving  My  grace.  I  will  then  offer  My  holy  birth  for 
thy  birth  when,  not  yet  regenerated  in  the  baptismal 
font,  thou  wert  estranged  from  Me. 

"  Then,  I  will  offer  the  first  days  of  My  life,  so  pure, 
before  I  spoke,  and  those  of  My  infancy,  for  the  ignorance 
in  which  thou  didst  pass  the  same  age.  I  will  also  offer 
the  fervent  desires  of  My  childhood  and  youth  to  atone 
for  the  negligences  of  thine. 


44   ?HE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

"  I  will  offer  the  whole  of  My  holy  and  perfect  life  on 
earth,  with  the  fruit  of  My  Passion,  overflowing  with 
My  love,  for  all  thy  sins  of  commission  and  omission. 
In  that  way,  in  Me  and  by  Me,  all  that  thou  standest 
in  need  of  shall  be  supplied." 

O  infinite  justice  of  God,  exact  from  me  as  rigorous 
an  account  of  all  my  iniquities  and  excesses  as  Thou  wilt. 
I  am  not  reduced  to  the  Prophet's  helplessness:  Si  ini- 
quitates  observaveris  Domine,  Domine  quis  sustinebit?" 
Behold  the  Heart  of  Jesus ;  from  it,  pay  Thyself  for  all  my 
debts.  Thou  wilt  not  exhaust  my  treasure;  with  the 
surplus  I  dare  ask  Heaven  of  Thee,  and  Heaven  is  Thyself. 


CHAPTER  XV 

IN   WHAT   MANNER    THE  SACRED   HEART 

EXERCISES  THE  OFFICE  OF  MEDIATOR 

TOWARDS  US 

CONSIDERED  from  our  point  of  viewthe  mediation 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  is  of  immense  value. 
It  is  extended  to  all  men,  in  all  stations,  in  all  their 
needs  and  misfortunes.     The  works  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus 
fill  the  whole  world  !     Its  office  is  universal — everything 
lives,  everything  breathes,  everything  prospers,  through 
it.     Truth,  grace,  glory,  all  are  from  it,  and  its  office  is 
not  a  transient  one  which  may  fail  and  disappear,  but  is 
a  fixed  and  permanent  state, 

Such  is  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  universal  source  of  all  that 
is  good,  beautiful,  just,  holy,  under  all  forms,  in  every 
time,  in  all  places,  and  of  it  one  may  say  that  the 
entire  universe  is  full  of  its  magnificence  (Mgr.  Baudry, 

295). 

St.  Mechtilde  recognized  this  magnificent  prerogative 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  Over  and  over  again  she 
declares  that  all  comes  from  Him,  on  earth  and  in  heaven. 
He  is  the  universal  treasure  from  which  come  pardon, 
life  and  glory.  One  day  our  Lord  tried  to  make  her 
understand  this  sublime  office  by  an  almost  trivial  com 
parison.  It  was  to  reward  her  for  an  act  of  humility. 
She  had  just  received  a  wonderful  grace,  but,  recognizing 
her  lowliness,  she  exclaimed  with  a  profound  contempt 
for  herself: 

"  O  most  generous  King,  so  sublime  a  gift  is  unfit 
for  me.  I  am  *  unworthy  to  wash  the  dishes  in  Thy 
kitchen.'  "  Our  Lord  lovingly  replied :  "  What  dost  thou 
call  My  kitchen  and  what  are  the  dishes  thou  wouldst 
wash  ?" 

45 


46   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

Mechtilde,  not  knowing  what  to  say,  was  silent.  Our 
Lord,  who  sometimes  raises  a  question  so  that  He  may  be 
able  to  answer  it  Himself,  at  once  said:  "  My  kitchen  is 
My  divine  Heart.  The  kitchen  is  a  public  room  open 
to  all,  to  slaves  and  to  free.  So  My  Heart  is  open  always 
to  all  and  disposed  to  grant  to  all  what  they  desire.  The 
chefoi  this  kitchen  is  the  Holy  Spirit :  in  His  inexhaustible 
liberality  and  with  His  sweet  and  priceless  gifts  He  con 
tinually  fills  My  Heart,  and  He  fills  it  to  overflowing.  The 
vessels  into  which  it  overflows  are  the  hearts  of  the  Saints 
and  of  My  elect,  which  are  continually  being  filled  with 
a  wonderful  sweetness  from  My  divine  Heart." 

Therefore  we  see  the  Heart  of  Jesus  is  open  to  all 
men,  and  thither  they  must  go  to  seek  nourishment  for 
their  souls  and  true  happiness  of  heart,  Cujuslibet  delecta- 
mentum.  To  express  more  clearly  this  precious  attribute 
our  Lord  often  had  recourse  to  a  similitude  not  less 
striking.  "  I  offer  you  My  Heart,"  He  said  one  day  to 
Mechtilde,  addressing  all  her  sisters  through  her,  "  I 
offer  you  My  Heart,"  and  at  once  she  saw  Him  holding 
His  Heart  in  His  breast  like  a  cup,  and  in  this  cup  were 
gathered  three  organ  pipes  which  signified  the  three 
dispositions  of  the  divine  Heart  of  our  Lord  on  earth, 
dispositions  in  which  He  wished  all  to  be  who  had  recourse 
to  His  Heart. 

First,  the  Heart  of  Christ  was  towards  His  Father  full 
of  reverence^and  Jove.  Secondly,  the  Heart  of  Christ 
was  towards  men  full  of  mercy  and  charity.  Thirdly, 
the  Heart  of  Christ  was  in  itself  full  of  humility  and 
abjection* 

And  our  Lord  said  to  all  who  approached  His  Heart: 
"  Drink  and  be  inebriated,  My  dear  friends."  Mechtilde 
wished  that  all  in  heaven,  on  earth  and  in  purgatory 
might  share  in  this  grace  and  come  to  drink  at  this  sources 
Our  Lord  therefore  offered  His  Heart  to  all  these  person! 
in  the  Church  militant  as  well  as  in  the  Church  triumph- 


THE  CUP  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART   47 

ant,  that  they  might  drink  so  delicious  a  draught.  The 
Saints  in  heaven  took  long  draughts  from  this  Heart  of 
sweetness  and  the  joys  of  beatitude,  while  the  children 
of  the  Church  militant  drank  from  it  the  waters  of 
mercy,  After  which  our  Lord  said :  "  I  will  drink  of 
the  hearts  of  all  who  drink  of  My  Heart." 

May  we  not  make  a  comparison  between  this  cup  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  and  the  cup  the  Psalmist  speaks  of  ? 
"  I  saw,"  he  says,  "  in  the  hand  of  God  a  cup  filled  with 
three  liquids  (Calix  in  manu  Domini  vini  meri  plenus 
mixto):  First  there  is  the  pure  wine  (vini  meri)^  then 
the  wine  mixed  (plenus  mixto),  and  lastly  the  dregs 
(verumtamenfcex  ejus  non  est  exinanita)"  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  7,  8). 
What  is  signified  by  the  pure  wine  ?  Eternal  joy,  joy 
mixed  with  no  evil  nor  with  any  bitterness.  What  is 
signified  by  the  dregs  but  the  pains  of  the  lost,  pains 
alleviated  by  no  sweetness?  And  what  is  signified  by 
the  mixed  wine  but  good  and  evil,  whose  nature  can  be 
changed  according  to  us  in  this  present  life  ?  (Bossuet.) 

This  cup  which  our  Lord  holds  in  his  hand  is  the  cup 
of  His  justice;  and  it  is  justice  itself  which  pours  in  the 
three  liquids,  signifying  the  good  of  heaven,  the  evil  of 
hell  and  the  good  and  evil  in  this  present  life.  But  the 
cup  which  the  Man-God  hides  in  His  breast  is  the  cup 
of  mercy  whose  waters  wash  the  sinners  of  the  earth, 
purify  the  stained  souls  in  purgatory,  and  slake  the  thirst 
of  the  Saints  in  heaven. 

O  my  God,  I  do  not  desire  to  drink  of  the  cup  of  justice 
which  is  in  Thy  hand,  but  of  the  cup  of  mercy  hidden  in 
Thy  Heart,  Da  mihi  bane  aquam.  I  leave  the  first  for 
sinners  who  reject  Thee,  O  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus :  Bibent 
omnes  feccatores  terrce. 

From  this  teaching  we  learn  that  the  Heart  of  Jesus  is 
a  mediation  for  all.  To  contemplate  Him  exercising 
this  merciful  function  we  must  adopt  some  plan.  The 
different  subjects  seem  indicated  to  us  by  the  diversity 


48   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

of  cases  this  Divine  Mediator  must  plead  for,  the  wants 
He  must  supply,  the  unfortunate  He  must  help.  The 
Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  has  among  His  clients,  sinners,  the 
just  and  souls  consecrated  to  Him.  He  meets  them  at 
prayer,  at  the  tribunal  of  penance,  at  the  Holy  Table  and 
at  Holy  Mass.  He  leads  them  to  a  bed  of  pain,  to  the 
agony  of  death,  to  the  flames  of  purgatory  and  at  last  to 
heaven.  Volumus  videre  Jesum.  O  that  we  could  see 
the  designs  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  with  His  own 
in  all  these  different  circumstances  ! 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  SACRED  HEART  IS  THE  SOURCE  OF  THE 

DIVINE  LIFE  WHICH  WE  RECEIVE 

IN  BAPTISM 

THE  Christian  by  baptism  becomes  a  member  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Consequently  he  ought  to  live  His 
life  and  look  upon  himself  as  another  Jesus  Christ, 
whether  he  works,  rejoices  or  suffers.  Every  Christian 
ought  to  say  with  St.  Paul :  "  I  live,  now  not  I,  but  Christ 
liveth  in  me." 

The  source  and  principle  of  this  life  is  in  the  Sacred 
Heart.  One  day  St.  Mechtilde  was  giving  thanks  for  the 
work  of  our  Redemption.  Having  come  to  the  part 
where  she  thanked  Him  for  having  been  baptized  for  us, 
our  Lord  said  to  her,  "  I  will  baptize  thee,"  and  there 
upon  a  great  wave  coming  from  the  divine  Heart  seemed 
to  inundate  her  soul.  Then  our  Lord  said:  "  I  will  also 
be  thy  godfather,  and  as  godparents  instruct  their  god 
daughters  I  will  teach  thee  three  things. 

"  The  first  is  to  bear  all  sufferings  corporal  and  spiritual 
not  for  thyself,  but  for  Me,  as  if  I  bore  them  in  thee. 

"  The  second  is  to  accept  all  blessings  and  all  the 
services  rendered  to  thee  by  men,  with  joy  and  gratitude, 
as  if  they  were  done  for  Me,  and  not  for  thee. 

"/The  third  is  to  live  entirely  for  Me,  so  that  thou  dost 
look  on  thy  works  as  belonging  to  Me  and  not  to  thee, 
seeing  in  thyself  only  a  garment,  with  which  I  cover 
Myself  to  execute  and  direct  all  thy  actions." 

This  intimate  union,  established  between  the  soul  and 
God  in  baptism,  is  called  a  participation  in  the  divine 
nature:  Consortes  divince  natures.  Two  comparisons  in 
turn  are  employed  to  express  the  consequences  and  fruits 

49  4 


50       THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

of  this  union;  one  is  borrowed  from  St.  Paul,  and  the 
other  from  our  Blessed  Lord. 

To  become  a  Christian  is  to  put  on  Jesus  Christ.  So 
our  Lord  tells  St.  Mechtilde  that  the  soul  becomes  His 
covering.  To  express  the  same  thought  St.  Paul  says 
that  Jesus  Christ  covers  the  soul.  "Put  ye  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,"  he  writes  to  the  early  Christians  (Rom.  xiii. 
14) ;  "  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  in  which  you  are  called 
with  all  humility  and  mildness,  with  patience  supporting 
one  another  in  charity,  careful  to  keep  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace"  (Eph.  iv.  23);  "for  as 
many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  in  Christ,  have  put  on 
Christ"  (Gal.  iii.  i). 

But  where  are  prepared  those  Christian  virtues  which 
form,  so  to  say,  the  garment  or  nuptial  robe  of  the 
Christian  ?  In  the  Heart  of  Jesus.  Our  good  Mother 
will  take  them  from  there  to  clothe  us. 

Mechtilde  one  day  begged  this  virgin  Mother  to  obtain 
for  her  purity  of  mind  and  body.  Then  our  Blessed 
Lady  appeared  to  her,  standing  before  our  Lord,  and  she 
took  a  white  garment  from  the  divine  Heart  which  she 
gave  to  her.  Mechtilde  wished  to  put  it  on,  but  a  troop 
of  demons  stood  on  the  right  and  on  the  left  to  prevent 
her  wearing  it.  She  then  invoked  our  Blessed  Lady, 
begging  for  her  assistance,  and  at  once  she  placed  herself 
before  the  demons,  covering  Mechtilde  with  her  shadow, 
and  the  devils  disappeared.  Mechtilde  was  then  able 
to  put  on  the  white  garment  taken  from  the  Sacred  Heart 
of  Jesus. 

Not  only  purity  is  to  be  found  in  this  divine  source, 
but  all  other  yirtugs.^ 

"  I  will  Myself  prepare  thy  garments,  My  beloved," 
said  our  Lord  to  His  Spouse,  "  and  I  will  clothe  thee  with 
them.  Knowest  thou  not  that  worms  spin  the  silk,  and 
it  is  written  of  Me, '  I  am. ~a  worm  and  no  man  '  ?  (Ps.  xxi.). 
I  will  spin  garments  for  thee,  out  of  My  tender  love, 


THE  SACRED  HEART  A  SPRING  OF  LIFE    51 

and  if  thou  canst  not  wear  them  alone,  we  will  bear  them 
together.  Up  to  this  present  time,  thou  hast  served  Me 
devotedly  in  thy  labours :  in  future  thou  shalt  serve  Me 
in  practising  the  virtues  of  which  I  have  given  thee  an 
example." 

What  a  gracious  image  !  The  silkworm  winds  around 
its  body  its  precious  thread  and  finds  in  it  its  death, 
and  the  covering  of  this  poor  little  creature  becomes  an 
ornament  for  kings  and  queens.  He  who  was  as  despicable 
as  a  worm  covered  Himself  with  all  human  virtues.  He 
died  in  that  covering  and  calls  us  from  the  Cross  to  cover 
our  nakedness  with  it. 

The  second  comparison,  which  symbolizes  the  union  of 
the  baptized  soul  with  the  divine  nature,  is  employed  by 
our  Lord  Himself: 

"  I  am  the  vine,  you  are  the  branches;  he  that  abideth 
in  Me  the  same  beareth  much  fruit  "  (St.  John  xv.). 
The  branch  united  to  our  Lord  is  fruitful,  it  spreads  out, 
and  becomes  a  vine  for  the  Beloved.  Vinea  dilecto. 
"  Oh,"  exclaimed  St.  Mechtilde,  "  would  that  my  heart 
could  always  be  a  vine  pleasing  to  Thy  Heart."  To  which 
our  Lord  replied:  "  I  can  accomplish  all  that  thou 
desirest,"  and  it  was  revealed  to  her  that  the  just  man 
was  God's  vine  and  that  God  found  pleasure  in  him  who 
from  his  infancy  until  his  death  had  sanctified  his  life 
for  God.  In  the  centre  of  the  vineyard  was  a  fountain 
and,  near  it,  God  was  seated  on  a  throne.  From  His 
Heart  rushed  a  torrent  of  water  into  the  fountain  which 
our  Lord  made  to  overflow  on  those  who  longed  for  their 
own  spiritual  regeneration. 

So  we  see  the  soul  of  the  just  man  is  like  a  vine  watered 
by  water  flowing  from  the  Sacred  Heart.  Under  the 
similitude  of  wine,  our  Lord  presents  to  us  the  works 
produced  by  His  beloved  vine.  Works  offered  to  God  in 
infancy  are  like  very  pure  wine  and  exceedingly  sweet. 
The  labour  which  a  young  man  undertakes  in  order  to 


52   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

resist  sin  and  temptation  and  the  power  of  the  enemy  of 
our  soul  is  as  wine,  red  and  strong.  The  acts  of  virtue 
accomplished  by  a  man  in  his  prime,  for  the  love  of  God, 
are  as  wine,  warm  and  very  good.  Then  the  different 
desires  which  tend  to  make  a  man  aspire  with  all  his 
strength  to  God  and  heavenly  things,  as  also  the  pains 
and  troubles  of  all  sorts  which  ordinarily  come  to  sadden 
old  age,  are  like  wine,  as  generous  as  nectar. 

The  vine  that  is  planted  in  good  ground  and  well 
exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  produces  a  more  exquisite 
wine  and  is  worthy  of  being  served  at  a  king's  table.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  vine  of  our  hearts  when  it  is 
warmed  with  the  sun  of  charity. 

"  What  wine  do  I  give  Thee  to  drink,  my  Beloved, 
when  I  pray  for  Thy  friends  ?"  Jesus  answered  Mechtilde, 
saying,  "  A  very  generous  wine  capable  of  making  My 
Heart  rejoice,  as  it  is  written : '  Wine  may  cheer  the  heart 
of  man  '  "  (Ps,  liii.).  "  And  when  I  pray  for  sinners  ?" 
"  A  very  pure  wine,  sweeter  than  honey  in  the  comb, 
thou  presentest  to  Me  when  thou  prayest  for  My  enemies, 
who  are  in  a  state  of  damnation,  so  that  they  may  be 
converted  from  their  evil  ways."  "  And  when  I  pray  for 
the  dead  ?"  "  Thou  givest  Me  a  wine  which  always 
rejoices  My  Heart  when  thou  prayest  for  these  souls, 
so  dear  to  Me,  so  that  they  may  be  delivered  from  their 
pains." 

We  can  therefore  give  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus 
invitation  for  invitation.  He  says  to  us:  "  Come,  eat  My 
bread  and  drink  the  wine  which  I  have  mingled  for  you 
(Ps.  ix.  5).  Eat,  My  friends,  drink  and  be  inebriated, 
My  dearly  beloved." 

And  we,  in  our  turn,  little  chosen  vines  of  the  Master, 
may  call  thee,  O  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  to  drink  the  wine 
we  have  prepared  for  Him.  Inebriate  Thyself,  O  Lord, 
with  these  prayers;  these  good  works  offered  for  Thy 
friends,  for  sinners  and  for  souls  who  suffer  far  from  Thee. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  MEANS  OF  LEADING  A  CHRISTIAN  LIFE 
MUST  BE  SOUGHT  IN  THE  SACRED  HEART 

THE  prophet  said:  "  You  will  draw  waters  of  joy 
from  the  Saviour's  fountains." 
These  holy  fountains  signify  His  wounds,  and 
especially  that  in  His  Sacred  Heart.  A  Christian  must 
always  be  striving  to  approach  nearer  to  this  inexhaustible 
fountain  and  to  draw  from  it  the  water  which  flows  unto 
eternal  life.  Our  Lord  says  to  each  one  of  us :  "  Enter 
and  travel  through  My  divine  Heart,  see  its  length  and 
breadth;  its  length  is  the  eternity  of  My  goodness,  and 
its  breadth  the  love  and  the  desire  I  have  always  had  for 
thy  salvation.  Consider  this  length  and  breadth — that  is, 
take  possession  of  it,  for  all  the  good  that  thou  dost  find 
in  My  Heart  really  belongs  to  thee." 

Therefore  the  source  of  life,  grace,  virtue  and  holiness 
is  opened,  and  Jesus  says :  "  Why  should  not  a  Christian 
receive  what  I  very  willingly  offer  him  ?"  "I  give  him 
readily  the'treasure  of  the  life  I  passed  here  on  the  earth 
in  innocence  and  sanctity  ;;let  him  take  it  for  himself  and 
seek  in  it  a  compensation  for  all  his  needs."  Mechtilde 
replied:  "  If  thou  dost  so  much  desire,  my  sweetest  Jesus, 
that  we  should  appropriate  all  that  is  Thine,  tell  me,  I 
pray  Thee,  how  it  is  to  be  done." 

He  replied:  "  Offer  to  God  the  Father  all  thy  desires, 
intentions  and  prayers  in  union  with  My  desires  and 
prayers;  all  will  unite  and  ascend  to  God,  giving  Him 
pleasure,  as  several  perfumes  burnt  together  cause  only 
one  column  of  smoke  that  rises  straight  to  heaven.  Any 
other  prayer,  even  though  it  should  reach  heaven,  could 
not  be  so  pleasing  to  God." 

53 


54   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

"  In  the  same  way,  if  thou  unitest  thy  labours  and  all 
thy  works  with  My  labours  and  My  works,  all  that  thou 
dost  shall  be  ennobled;  as  brass  melted  with  gold  is  no 
longer  a  common  metal  but  is  changed  into  precious  gold. 
If  a  handful  of  wheat  is  thrown  on  to  a  heap  of  the  same, 
it  is  immediately  identified  with  it,  and  so  the  works  of 
men,  in  themselves  nothing,  when  joined  to  My  works, 
are  multiplied  and  changed  to  their  advantage. 

"  In  the  third  place,  regulate  thy  whole  life — viz.,  thy 
movements,  strength,  senses,  thoughts,  words,  indeed 
everything  according  to  My  way  of  living,  from  which 
will  result  a  new  and  a  higher  life.  See  a  beautiful  bird 
which  flies  from  a  fetid  marsh  and  poisonous  air;  it  takes 
a  new  life  in  better  surroundings.  So  the  earthly  man, 
in  the  life  he  has  hitherto  led,  becomes  heavenly  in  the 
new  life  he  receives,  united  with  Me." 

Therefore,  beloved  souls,  let  us  receive  with  great 
gratitude  so  great  a  favour  from  heaven.  Let  us  take 
possession  of  the  most  holy  life  of  Christ  to  supply  for 
what  is  wanting  in  ours.  Let  us  also  study,  according 
to  our  ability,  to  conform  ourselves  to  His  virtues;  this 
will  be  our  greatest  glory,  in  our  eternal  home.  What 
glory  could  be  greater  than  to  approach,  in  some  way, 
the  splendour  of  the  eternal  light  ? 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
MART'S  ASSISTANCE  WITH  THE  SACRED  HEART 

OUR  blessed  Lady  is  the  Mother  of  baptized  Chris 
tians  ;  she  is  charged  to  develop  in  them  the  life 
of  her  divine  Son  which  they  receive  in  baptism. 
The  Book  of  Special  Grace  shows  us  the  solicitude  of  this 
devoted  Mother.     Whether  it  is  to  develop  His  life  in 
us  or  to  renew  it,  it  is  to  the  Heart  of  her  Son  that  she 
always  leads  us.     Better  than  the  Apostles,  she  under 
stood  those  words  at  the  Last  Supper:  "  I  am  the  vine, 
you  the  branches,  he  that  abideth  in  Me  beareth  much 
fruit"  (John  xv.). 

One  Saturday  while  they  were  singing  the  Mass,  Salve 
Sancta  Parens,  Mechtilde  saluted  our  Blessed  Lady, 
begging  of  her  to  obtain  for  her  true  holiness,  and  the 
glorious  Virgin  answered  her:  "  If  thou  desirest  true 
holiness,  keep  near  my  Son,  who  is  holiness  itself  and  who 
sanctifies  all  things."  Mechtilde  asked  how  she  was  to 
carry  out  this  advice,  and  our  Lady  answered  with  great 
kindness:  "  Keep  before  thee  His  holy  infancy,  that 
thereby  His  innocence  may  supply  for  all  the  actions  and 
omissions  of  thy  infancy.  Keep  before  thee  His  fervent 
youth,  which  was  so  full  of  love,  that  it  alone  would 
suffice  to  enkindle  the  furnace  of  divine  love;  by  it  the 
lukewarmness  and  idleness  of  thy  youth  shall  be  repaired. 
Keep  before  thee  His  divine  virtues,  which  will  ennoble 
and  el'evate  thy  actions. 

"  Keep  also  my  Son  before  thy  eyes  in  directing  to 
Him  all  thy  thoughts,  words  and  actions.  He  who  did 
all  things  perfectly  will  efface  all  that  is  imperfect  in  them. 

"  Rely  also  on  Him,  as  a  spouse  relies  on  her  husband; 
she  is  fed  and  clothed  at  his  expense,  and  for  love  of  him 

55 


56   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

she  cherishes  and  honours  his  family  and  friends.  The 
soul  must  be  nourished  by  the  word  of  God,  as  by  the 
choicest  food;  it  must  be  clothed  and  adorned  carefully 
with  what  pleases  Him — ?'.<?.,  with  the  example  of  His 
virtues,  which  it  should  strive  to  imitate.  It  should 
make  His  family  its  own — that  is,  His  Saints — love  them, 
praise  God  on  their  account  and  incite  them  often  to 
praise  its  Beloved  with  it.  In  this  way  will  the  soul  also 
be  holy  according  as  it  is  written,  *  With  the  holy  thou 
wilt  be  holy  '  (Ps.  xviii.  26),  in  the  same  way  as  a  queen 
is  queen  because  she  participates  in  the  dignity  of  the 
king." 

To  keep  with  Jesus,  that  is  the  secret  of  all  holiness; 
to  keep  with  Jesus  in  all  the  vicissitudes  of  our  life,  with 
Him  in  the  mysteries  of  His  infancy,  of  His  youth,  of 
His  life  and  death,  of  His  resurrection  and  glory.  Happy 
he  who  understands  this  secret !  He  will  soon  attain, 
and  without  great  efforts,  to  a  Christian  life  even  in  its 
perfection. 

It  is  certain  that  some  day  or  other  great  obstacles 
may  arise  on  the  narrow  way  that  leads  to  heaven,  but 
the  Sacred  Heart  will  be  with  us  to  enable  us  to  over 
come  them.  There  is,  above  all,  one  that  we  shall  escape 
easily,  if  we  remain  constantly  faithful  to  Him,  according 
to  our  Lady's  recommendation,  and  that  is,  taking  pride 
in  ourselves.  The  Heart  of  Jesus  throws  so  much  light 
on  our  soul  and  its  imperfections  that  we  shall  escape 
this  natural  satisfaction  and  pride  and  the  indolence 
which  results  from  it. 

The  servant  of  God  was  one  day  forced  to  complain 
to  our  Blessed  Lady  of  an  obstacle  she  thought  would 
prevent  her  progress  in  the  service  of  God.  The  Blessed 
Mother  said  to  her:  "  Go  and  present  thyself  to  my  Son 
respectfully." 

She  then  prostrated  herself  at  our  Saviour's  feet,  and 
on  rising  she  saw  upon  His  breast  what  appeared  to  her 


THE  WATERS  OF  ETERNAL  LIFE         57 

to  be  a  very  brilliant  mirror;  and  from  this  there  seemed 
to  come  forth  other  mirrors  which  covered  the  whole 
of  His  sacred  Person.  She  understood  this  to  mean 
that  all  the  members  of  Christ  in  their  various  operations 
shine  before  us  like  mirrors,  and  that  all  these  operations 
proceed  from  the  love  of  His  Heart. 

His  feet,  which  are  His  desires,  burn  for  us;  He  must 
see  how  cold  are  our  desires  for  spiritual  things,  and  how 
helpless  for  human  things. 

The  knees  of  Christ  are  for  us  mirrors  of  humility. 
They  were  bent  so  often  for  us  in  prayer,  and  also  when 
He  washed  His  Apostles'  feet.  In  this  we  can  recognize 
our  pride,  which  prevents  us  from  humbling  ourselves, 
though  we  are  but  dust  and  ashes. 

The  Heart  of  Christ  is  for  us  a  mirror  of  the  most 
burning  love  where  we  may  see  clearly  the  coldness  of 
our  own  hearts  towards  God  and  our  neighbour. 

The  mouth  of  Christ  is  for  us  a  mirror  of  sweet  words, 
full  of  praise  and  thanksgiving.  We  can  recognize  by 
it  the  worthlessness  of  our  words  and  the  omissions  of 
which  we  are  guilty  in  divine  praise  and  in  prayer. 

The  eyes  of  our  Lord  are  for  us  the  mirrors  of  divine 
truth;  in  them  we  may  see  the  darkness  caused  by  our 
unfaithfulness,  which  prevents  us  from  knowing  the  truth. 

The  ears  of  our  Lord  are  for  us  the  mirrors  of  obedience, 
for  He  was  always  ready  to  obey  God  His  Father  and  to 
listen  to  our  prayers. 

The  baptized  soul  must  therefore  love  the  Sacred  Heart 
of  Jesus,  if  it  wishes  to  live  the  divine  life  of  which  it 
received  the  seed  in  the  waters  of  baptism.  From  this 
Sacred  Heart  flow  the  waters  of  eternal  life.  Mechtilde 
saw  these  precious  waters  rush  out  and  flow  over  souls. 
She  called  them  now  a  river,  then  a  stream,  and  again 
a  spring;  but  the  river,  the  spring  and  the  stream  were 
able  to  purify  all  souls. 

The  river,  she  says,  flows  from  the  Heart  of  Jesus, 


58   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

inundating  souls,  penetrating  them  entirely,  chasing  away 
sadness  and  spreading  around  the  joy  of  the  City  of  God. 
The  little  stream  from  the  Heart  of  Jesus  hides  itself 
in  the  baptismal  waters  in  order  to  flow  over  all  those  who 
receive  spiritual  regeneration.  The  humble  spring  of 
living  and  limpid  waters  flows  gently  from  the  Sacred 
Heart  into  souls  full  of  love  for  Him. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   CHURCH  ENSHRINED   IN    THE  SACRED 
HEART 

MY  beloved  had  a  vineyard  on  a  hill  in  a  fruitful 
place,  and  he  fenced  it  in,  and  picked  the  stones 
out  of  it  and  planted  it  with  the  choicest  vines, 
and  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  thereof,  and  set  up  a  wine 
press  therein,  and  he  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth 
grapes,  and  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes.  And  now  ye 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and  ye  men  of  Juda,  judge 
between  me  and  my  vineyard.  What  is  there  that 
I  ought  to  do  more  to  my  vineyard,  that  I  have  not  done 
to  it  ?  For  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  the 
house  of  Israel,  and  the  man  of  Juda,  His  pleasant  plant, 
and  I  looked  that  he  should  do  judgment  and  behold 
iniquity  "  (Isaias  v.). 

The  vineyard  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  is  the  holy 
Catholic  Church,  which  He  founded  in  His  blood  and  in 
His  love  on  the  tree  of  the  Cross.  It  has  given  abun 
dantly  the  fruits  of  sanctity,  chastity  and  all  virtues. 

This  gracious  allegory  is  beautifully  developed  in  the 
Book  of  Special  Grace. 

One  Sunday,  while  they  were  singing  the  Asperges  me^ 
Mechtilde  said  to  our  Lord:  "  My  Lord,  with  what  wilt 
Thou  presently  purify  my  soul  ?" 

At  once  our  Lord,  with  an  inexpressible  sweetness  of 
love,  stooped  towards  her  as  a  mother  might  to  her  son, 
and  took  her  into  His  arms,  saying:  "  It  is  with  the  love 
of  My  divine  Heart  that  I  will  wash  thee." 

He  opened  the  door  of  His  Heart,  that  treasury  of 
divine  compassion,  and  she  entered  as  into  a  vineyard. 
She  there  saw  a  river  of  living  water  flowing  from  east 

59 


60   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

to  west,  on  the  banks  twelve  trees  bearing  twelve  fruits; 
they  were  the  virtues  enumerated  by  St.  Paul  in  his 
epistle — viz.,  charity,  peace,  patience,  joy,  etc.  (Gal.  x.22). 
The  river  was  the  river  of  love.  The  soul  entered  into 
this  vineyard  and  was  at  once  cleansed  from  all  its  stains. 
Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  My  vineyard  is  also  the  Catholic 
Church.  I  laboured  in  it  with  pain  and  sweat  during 
thirty- three  years;  come  and  work  with  Me  in  this 
vineyard."  Mechtilde  replied:  "And  how  shall  I  do 
this?"  Our  Lord  answered:  "By  watering."  At  once 
Mechtilde  rushed  to  the  river.  To  work  in  our  Lord's 
vineyard  is  therefore  to  water  it  with  the  waters  drawn 
from  the  river  of  love. 

To  show  men  how  much  God  loves  them,  or  even  to 
increase  that  love  in  their  hearts,  is  truly  God's  work,  and 
that  of  His  Son,  Jesus;  it  must  therefore  be  the  object 
of  all  our  efforts  with  the  souls  who  are  subject  to  us. 

Our  Lord  showed  Mechtilde  the  souls  of  those  who 
are  members  of  the  Church  under  different  similitudes 
according  to  their  dispositions.  In  this  way,  she  saw 
loving  souls  who  had  separated  themselves  from  the 
vanities  of  the  world  and  plunged  into  the  source  of 
all  good,  the  Heart  of  Jesus  Christ.  She  saw  souls, 
thoroughly  Christian,  who  raised  their  thoughts  to  God 
after  having  despised  the  world  and  its  pleasures.  She 
also  saw  souls  lying  steeped  in  sin,  some  ready  to  repent 
and  others  hardened  in  sin,  rejecting  God's  grace.  Let 
us  examine  the  tenderness  of  the  Sacred  Heart  for  each 
and  all  these  souls  redeemed  by  His  precious  blood. 


CHAPTER  XX 
THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  SINNERS 

FROM  the  first  moment  of  the  Incarnation,  the 
Heart  of  Jesus  offered  for  sinners  the  drops  of 
Precious  Blood  that  He  had  just  received  from  the 
Immaculate  Heart  of  His  Mother.  An  ardent  desire 
to  shed  this  blood  then  took  possession  of  His  Sacred 
Heart  and  became  a  real  agony  (coarctor).  This  abiding 
desire  explains  why  forgiveness,  with  so  much  delicacy, 
was  so  easily  granted  to  Magdalen,  to  the  woman  taken 
in  adultery,  to  the  Samaritan,  to  Zacheus  and  to  the 
paralytic.  But  if  love,  according  as  it  is  bestowed,  makes 
of  us  either  Saints  or  sinners,  what  shall  the  immense 
love  which  Jesus  bears  to  sinners  make  of  Him  ?  This 
love  makes  Jesus  the  Lamb  of  God  who  takes  away  the 
sins  of  the  world,  the  Good  Shepherd  who  follows  the 
strayed  sheep,  the  Father  who  receives  the  prodigal  with 
joy.  The  work  of  this  love  is  eternal;  it  confirms  the 
Heart  of  Jesus  in  the  three  dispositions  of  which  we  have 
already  spoken.  He  is  always  the  Victim  slain  for  us. 
He  is  always  the  Good  Shepherd  seeking  His  lost  sheep. 
He  always  rejoices,  like  the  Father  in  the  Gospel,  at  the 
return  of  a  repentant  sinner. 

These  three  dispositions  of  the  Sacred  Heart  make  us 
thrill  with  hope  when  we  realize  them  in  the  Holy 
Gospels.  Could  we  only  realize  them  now  in  Jesus  so 
close  to  us,  in  the  tabernacle  !  Let  us  listen  to  the  sweet 
Saint  who  had  the  privilege,  like  St.  John,  of  hearing  the 
beatings  of  the  divine  Heart. 


61 


CHAPTER  XXI 
THE  SACRED  HEART  A  PERPETUAL  VICTIM 

OUR  Lord  appeared  one  day  to  St.  Mechtilde  with 
His  Hands  outstretched  and  His  open  wounds. 
"  When  I  was  hanging  on  the  Cross,"  He  said, 
"  all  My  wounds  were  bleeding,  each  of  them  a  voice 
interceding  with  My  Father  for  the  salvation  of  men, 
and  they  still  cry  to  Him  to  appease  His  wrath  against 
sinners. 

"  As  I,  in  My  human  nature,  offered  Myself  to  God  the 
Father  with  ineffable  love,  covered  with  blood,  a  victim 
on  the  altar  of  the  Cross,  so  with  the  same  love  I  offer 
Myself  now  to  the  Father  for  sinners,  I  present  to  Him 
all  the  instruments  of  My  Passion,  for  what  I  most  desire 
is  that  the  sinner  should  be  converted  and  live.'* 

If  this  sinner  is  converted,  the  divine  Victim  thrills 
with  joy;  but  if  he  resists  the  graces  offered  by  the  Sacred 
Heart,  He  feels  the  sad  effects  and  seems  to  have  found 
an  executioner. 

"  As  long  as  a  sinner  remains  in  sin,  he  keeps  Me 
stretched  and  fastened  to  the  Cross,  but  as  soon  as  he  is 
converted  and  repentant  he  detaches  Me,  and  as  if  I  had 
really  been  detached  from  the  Cross  I  fall,  with  all  my 
weight  on  him,  as  formerly  on  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  with 
My  grace  and  mercy;  I  give  Myself  into  his  hands,  so 
that  he  may  do  with  Me  as  he  will." 

On  leaving  the  banqueting  hall  Magdalen  only  carried 
with  her  the  assurance  of  her  forgiveness;  we,  poor 
sinners,  may  carry  Jesus  Himself. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IN  HEAVEN  THE  SACRED  HEART  IS  STILL  THE 
HEART  OF  THE  GOOD  SHEPHERD 

CAN   anything  more  sweet   or  more  touching  be 
imagined  than  the  solicitude  of  the  Good  Shepherd 
for  His  strayed  sheep  ?     This  solicitude  is  still  as 
great  and  as  unwearying  in  the  Heart  of  Jesus. 

"  I  follow,"  He  tells  us,  "  this  sinful  soul  ceaselessly, 
and  when  it  returns  to  Me,  by  repentance,  desire  or  love, 
I  rejoice  exceedingly.  It  is  impossible  to  confer  a 
greater  favour  on  a  debtor  than  to  bestow  on  him  the 
means  to  pay  his  debts :  I  have  become,  in  a  way,  a  debtor 
to  My  Father,  by  undertaking  to  satisfy  for  the  sins  of 
men,  so  I  can  wish  for  no  greater  joy  than  to  see  men 
return  to  Me  by  repentance  and  love.'* 

Not  content  with  following  the  lost  sheep  Himself, 
the  Good  Shepherd  wishes  to  associate  us  with  Him 
in  this  ministry  of  salvation.  Like  St.  Mechtilde,  we 
feel  indignant  with  those  who  refuse  our  help  and  the 
graces  offered  by  Jesus.  But  He  says  to  us,  as  to  the 
Sons  of  Zebedee:  "  You  know  not  of  what  spirit  you  are." 
"  See,  leave  Me  to  act,  and  pray  for  these  poor  sinners 
that  I  have  bought  with  a  great  price  and  for  whose 
conversion  I  long  so  ardently.  He  who  desires  to  pray 
and  be  heard  for  those  who  are  captive  either  in  body  or 
in  soul,  by  sin,  let  him  pray  to  Me  by  the  love  of  My 
Heart;  b^  that  love  which  held  Me  captive  nine  months 
in  the  Virgin's  womb;  by  that  love  which  bound  Me  in 
swaddling  clothes  and  delivered  Me  in  fetters  into  the 
hands  of  wicked  men.  Let  him  pray  by  the  love  which 
bound  Me  in  chains,  when  led  by  the  Jews  before  the 
judge;  by  the  love  which  bound  Me  to  the  pillar  to  be 

63 


64       THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

scourged;  which  nailed  Me  with  so  much  shame  to  the 
cross;  which  after  death  enveloped  Me  in  a  winding  sheet. 
By  that  love  which  bound  Me  in  all  these  different 
circumstances,  let  him  beg  of  Me  to  deliver  this  captive 
from  the  bonds  of  sin." 

How  powerful  is  this  prayer  for  sinners  !  One  day 
St.  Mechtilde  was  soliciting  ardently  the  conversion  of 
all  those  in  a  state  of  sin,  and  our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  Very 
well !  For  thy  prayers  I  will  convert  a  hundred  sinners." 


The  Sacred  Heart  always  rejoices  over  the  Return 
of  Sinners. 

Paternal  love  is  the  explanation  of  all  we  read  in  the 
parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  the  joy  with  which  the 
Father  receives  his  guilty  child,  the  facility  with  which 
he  grants  him  forgiveness  and  reinstates  him  in  all  his 
rights !  His  son  was  dead,  and  his  son  is  risen  again.  He 
is  like  Jacob,  happy  in  clasping  to  his  breast  Joseph  his 
well-beloved,  whom  he  supposed  devoured  by  wild 
beasts  ! 

If  the  Heart  of  Jesus  feels  a  similar  joy  when  a  sinner 
is  converted  it  is  because  it  is  full  of  a  love  as  great  as 
that  of  a  father  for  his  son.  Nothing,  He  tells  us,  makes 
Me  so  happy  as  to  possess  man's  heart,  which  I  enjoy  so 
rarely.  I  have  everything  in  abundance,  except  man's 
heart,  which  so  often  evades  Me. 

"  But  when  this  poor  human  heart  is  contrite  and 
broken  with  sorrow  and  cries  out,  '  I  will  arise  and  go 
to  my  Father,'  the  Sacred  Heart  thrills  with  joy.  I  say 
to  thee,  that  no  matter  how  great  his  sins  may  be,  at  that 
same  moment,  if  he  sincerely  repents,  I  forgive  all  his 
sins,  and  My  Heart  inclines  towards  him  with  as  much 
mercy  and  sweetness  as  though  he  had  never  sinned." 

"  6  depth  really  unfathomable  !"  adds  St.  Mechtilde. 


THE  DiriNE  MERCT  65 

"  Oh,  the  depth  of  Thy  wisdom  and  Thy  mercy  !  God 
most  clement,  by  so  many  different  and  admirable  ways 
Thou  dost  draw  the  hearts  of  sinners  to  Thyself;  they 
cannot  then  despair,  since  Thy  paternal  call  is  followed 
by  so  much  mercy," 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  INVITATIONS  GIVEN  BY  THE   SACRED 

HEART  TO  THOSE  WHO  WISH  TO  DEVOTE 

THEMSELVES  TO  ITS  SERVICE 

"  T*  HAVE  chosen  you,"  our  Lord  said  to  His  Apostles. 

"  I  have  called  you,"  He  also  says  to  the  friends  of 

-*"  His  divine  Heart.     The  reason  of  this  choice  and 

of  this  call  is  the  love  with  which  He  is  consumed  for  us. 

Oh,  you  who  hear  its  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,  but 

appreciate  God's  gift,  and  force  yourselves  to  return  Him 

love  for  love.     But  how  can  we  hear  this  voice,  how 

understand  this  language  of  the  Sacred  Heart  ? 

In  an  ecstasy,  which  raised  Mechtilde  out  of  herself, 
she  saw  the  King  of  Glory:  Mary,  the  Queen  of  heaven, 
was  at  His  right:  Mechtilde  placed  herself  on  the  left, 
then  laying  her  head  on  the  breast  of  Jesus  she  listened, 
with  the  ears  of  her  heart,  to  the  violent  and  continual 
beatings  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Christ. 

The  beatings  of  the  divine  Heart  sounded  as  though 
they  would  say  to  the  soul:  "  Come  and  repent,  come 
and  be  reconciled,  come  and  be  consoled,  come  and  be 
blessed;  come,  friend,  and  receive  all  that  one  friend  can 
give  another.  Come,  sister,  and  take  possession  of  the 
inheritance  that  I  have  bought  with  My  Precious  Blood. 
Come,  spouse,  and  rejoice  in  My  divinity." 

This  delightful  invitation  was  addressed  not  only  to 
the  favoured  Benedictine,  but  to  all  souls  of  good  will. 
This  is  proved  in  another  divine  communication :  Leaning 
her  head  on  the  breast  of  her  Beloved,  Mechtilde  heard 
three  distinct  beatings.  Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  These 
three  beatings  signify  three  words  I  wish  to  address  to 
the  loving  soul.  This  is  the  first:  *  Come  and  separate 

66 


THE  DIVINE  INVITATION  67 

thyself  from  creatures,'  The  second :  '  Enter  with  the 
confidence  of  a  spouse.'  The  third:  *  Into  the  mystical 
couch  which  is  the  divine  Heart.'  " 

By  these  words  she  understood  that  God  first  calls  the 
soul  chosen  from  all  others,  causes  it  to  renounce  all  the 
joy  it  could  find  here  below  and  to  attach  itself  to  the 
Lord  its  God  with  an  entire  devotedness.  Then  our 
Lord  fills  it  with  confidence  and  the  chosen  soul,  as  a 
spouse  who  never  fears  a  refusal,  full  of  assurance,  goes 
forward  to  the  nuptial  couch  of  His  divine  Heart,  wherein 
abounds  and  overflows  all  the  happiness  that  the  heart 
of  man  could  desire. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

WHAT:  THE  SACRED  HEART  WISHES 
TO  BE  FOR  US 

THE  Son  of  God  deigns  to  lower  Himself  to  each 
of  us.  He  stands  at  our  door  and  knocks,  saying: 
"  O  son  of  man,  give  Me  thy  heart  and  receive 
Mine."  As  soon  as  the  soul  answers,  "  Enter,  O  well- 
beloved  Lord,"  He  takes  possession  of  us,  but  by  a  happy 
exchange  we  take  possession  of  Him.  "  The  bee,"  He 
tells  us,  "  does  not  fly  with  greater  eagerness  to  the  green 
meadows  than  do  I  to  thy  soul  when  it  calls  Me.  Now 
My  Heart  is  thine  and  thy  heart  is  Mine."  And  in  a 
sweet  embrace  and  by  all  His  divine  virtues  He  attracts 
this  soul  so  that  it  seems,  in  future,  to  be  one  with  Him. 
And  what  will  be,  for  each  one  of  us,  this  Heart  which 
only  aims  at  giving  itself  and  putting  itself  entirely  at 
our  service)  The  passing  union  between  the  divine 
Heart  and  ours  at  Holy  Communion  cannot  satisfy  us. 
"  O  unparalleled  sweetness,  remain,  I  pray  Thee,  with 
me;  for  the  day  of  my  life  draws  towards  evening." 
It  was  the  wail  of  St.  Mechtilde,  and  is  also  ours;  but 
listen  to  the  reply  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus: 

"  I  shall  remain  with  thee  as  a  Father  with  his  son, 
giving  thee  a  share  in  the  heavenly  inheritance  that  I 
acquired  for  thee  during  My  thirty- three  years  on  earth; 
all  that  shall  be  given  to  thee  and  shall  be  thine.  I  shall 
also  be  with  thee  as  a  friend  with  his  friend:  he  who  has 
a  faithful  friend  takes  refuge  with  him  in  time  of  trial 
and  is  devoted  to  him.  So  thou  shalt  always  have  in  Me 
the  most  faithful  Friend,  a  safe  refuge  in  all  thy  needs; 
in  thy  weakness  thou  shalt  lean  on  Me  and  I  will  always 
come  faithfully  to  thy  assistance.  I  shall  also  be  always 
with  thee  as  a  Spouse  with  his  spouse:  between  whom 

68 


WHAT  THE  SACRED  HEART  WISHES      69 

there  could  be  no  separation,  except  through  illness; 
but  if  thou  shouldst  fall  ill,  thou  wilt  find  in  Me  the  most 
skilful  physician;  I  will  cure  thee  of  any  sickness.  So 
there  is  no  separation  possible  for  us,  but  an  eternal  and 
inseparable  union.  I  will  also  be  with  thee  as  a  traveller 
with  his  companion.  If  one  of  them  is  laden  with  a 
weight  too  heavy,  the  other  immediately  takes  part  of 
the  burden  on  himself,  so  will  I,  without  fail,  help  thee  to 
carry  all  thy  loads,  which  will  then  seem  light  to  thee." 

Who  would  not  joyfully  accept  an  alliance  with  such 
advantages  ?  The  Sacred  Heart  itself  becomes  our 
Father,  Friend,  Spouse,  Physician,  Companion  of  our 
journey  to  eternity,  carrying  with  us  the  burden  of  life. 

Mechtilde  had  heard  before,  several  times,  the  nature 
of  this  alliance.  Our  Lord  said  to  her  on  different 
occasions :  "  I  give  thee  My  soul,  it  will  be  thy  companion 
and  guide,  entrust  it  with  all  thou  hast.  When  thou  shalt 
be  in  sorrow,  it  will  console  thee,  and  in  all  circumstances 
it  will  be  for  thee  a  faithful  helper." 

Ashamed  to  have  neglected  this  great  favour,  Mechtilde 
cried  out:  "  Alas,  my  Lord,  life  of  my  soul;  forgive  me, 
Loving  Guide,  Noble  Companion  whom  I  have  so  rarely 
invited  to  share  my  labours  and  whose  aid  I  have  not 
sought  when  I  ought  to  have  done  so." 

Our  Lord  replied:  "I  forgive  thee.  My  soul  shall 
remain  with  thee  until  the  end  of  thy  life;  then  it  will 
unite  thee  with  the  Divinity;  as  I,  dying  on  the  Cross, 
remitted  My  Spirit  into  the  hands  of  the  Father,  so  it 
will  then  offer  thee  to  My  heavenly  Father." 
*  After  this  comforting  assurance  Mechtilde  begged  our 
Lord  to  grant  to  a  person  who  was  her  faithful  friend 
what  He  had  just  granted  to  her,  and,  at  once,  she  saw 
her  before  our  Lord,  and  He  taking  her  hands  gave  her 
possession  of  all  His  goods. 

O  St.  Mechtilde,  pray  also  for  us  and  obtain  for  us  a 
like  favour  ! 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  SACRED  HEART  IS  THE  SOURCE   OF 
FERVOUR 

JESUS    made    to    St.   Margaret    Mary   magnificent 
promises  in  favour  of  persons  who  were  devoted  to 
His    Sacred   Heart.     Tepid   souls  were  to   become 
fervent  and  fervent  souls  to  reach  a  high  perfection. 
In  the  thirteenth  century  our  Lord  had  already  made 
the  same  promises  and  verified  them  in  those  chosen  by 
His  love. 

St.  Mechtilde  had  a  tender  devotion  for  the  Heart 
of  Jesus.  Often  she  happened,  when  tepid  and  less 
fervent,  to  feel  the  divine  Heart  unite  itself  with  her 
heart,  like  liquid  gold,  and  the  approach  of  this  fire  pro 
duced  in  her  so  much  sweetness  that  she  was  soon  glowing 
with  her  accustomed  great  love. 

"  The  love  of  the  Sacred  Heart  watches  with  great 
care  over  the  souls  that  have  consecrated  themselves  to 
its  service.  Therefore  whenever  a  man  feels  his  devotion 
diminished,  his  heart  becoming  cold,  and  perceives  that 
he  has  strayed  from  God,  he  ought  to  call  on  this  Love, 
entrust  to  it  all  his  desires,  praying  it  to  obtain  for  him 
the  grace  or  zeal  of  true  devotion.  He  should  also  beg 
Love  to  guard  all  the  good  he  does,  and  Love  will  preserve 
it  carefully  in  the  casket  of  the  divine  Heart,  returning 
it  faithfully  to  the  soul,  increased  and  ennobled.  In  all 
his  sorrows  and  trials  let  him  call  Love  to  his  help.  With 
Love  man  feels  not  weakness  and  faints  not  in  adversity." 

The  soul  is  therefore  reanimated  in  fervour  when  it 
casts  itself  into  the  Sacred  Heart  and  calls  on  its  burning 
Love.  And  indeed,  whatever  may  be  the  nature  of  the 
weakness  which  overwhelms  it,  an  efficacious  remedy  will 
always  be  found  for  it  in  this  Heart. 

70 


THE  KINDLING  OF  FERVOUR  71 

One  day  when  Mechtilde  was  honouring  the  divine 
wounds,  she  saw  they  were  surrounded  by  precious  stones, 
and  as  she  was  astonished  at  this  our  Lord  said  to  her: 
"Precious stones  possess  great  qualities  and  may  sometimes 
chase  away  great  sickness;  in  the  same  way  My  wounds 
are  so  efficacious  that  they  drive  away  all  languor  from 
men's  souls.  Some  men  have  such  weak,  trembling 
hearts  that  they  never  dare  to  trust  in  My  tenderness  and 
they  try  to  fly  from  Me.  One  would  say  they  had  the 
palsy.  If  they  would  take  refuge  in  My  Passion,  honour 
ing  tenderly  My  wounds,  I  would  soon  deliver  them  from 
all  fear.  Others  have  restless,  fickle  hearts;  they  never 
stop  to  think;  at  the  smallest  word  they  give  way  to  im 
patience  or  even  anger.  If  they  would  recall  My  Passion, 
if  they  penetrated  their  minds  with  the  remembrance 
of  My  wounds,  they  would  acquire  stability  and  find 
patience.  There  are  others  who  have  a  sleeping  paralysis. 
I  mean  all  those  who  do  all  lazily  and  carelessly.  They, 
too,  at  the  remembrance  of  My  Passion  and  the  con 
sideration  of  the  depth  and  pain  of  My  wounds  would  be 
aroused  from  their  tepidity." 

But  of  all  our  Saviour's  wounds  we  must  have  special 
recourse  to  that  of  His  Heart. 

Praying  for  a  person  under  this  spiritual  torpor,  Mech 
tilde  saw  her  soul  in  the  divine  Heart  under  the  appear 
ance  of  a  little  child.  She  tried  to  hold  this  divine 
Heart  in  her  hands.  Our  Lord  said:  "  May  she  always 
come  to  Me  so  in  her  sorrows,  and  may  she  cling  to  My 
divine  Heart,  seeking  there  consolation,  and  I  will  never 
abandon  her." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  SACRED  REAM  AND  ITS  UNION  WITH 
SOULS 

"  IT  TO  my  Beloved  and  my  Beloved  to  me."  These 
I  words  of  the  Spouse  in  the  Canticles  express  the 
intimate  union  between  Jesus  and  the  faithful  soul. 
This  union  is  the  greatest  desire  of  Jesus.  "  My  delights 
are,"  He  tells  us,  "  to  be  with  the  children  of  men." 
It  is  also  the  greatest  desire  of  the  loving  soul.  "  Thou 
in  me  and  I  in  Thee.  Grant  that  we  may  eternally 
remain  so  united."  Who  will  give  me,  Lord,  to  be  so 
united  with  Thee  that  I  may  be  absorbed  in  Thee  so  as 
to  forget  myself  ? 

It  is  therefore  the  happiest  of  all  days  when  Love  says 
to  us,  as  to  St.  Mechtilde :  "  Enter  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord."  Hearing  this,  she  was  rapt  in  God,  and  as  a 
drop  of  water  mingled  with  wine  is  changed  entirely  into 
wine,  so  this  blessed  soul,  entering  into  God,  became  one 
and  the  same  spirit  with  Him.  United  thus  she  annihi 
lated  herself,  but  God  raised  her,  saying:  "  I  will  pour 
into  thee  all  that  a  human  heart  can  contain,  and  I  will 
increase  My  graces  in  thee  as  far  as  a  creature  can  receive 
them." 

Love  added:  "  Rest  here,  leaning  on  the  Heart  of  Him 
who  loves  thee.  Be  not  uneasy  in  prosperity,  taste  in 
peace  the  remembrance  of  all  thy  Beloved  has  done  for 
thee,  so  as  to  be  without  fear  in  adversity." 

Every  day,  at  the  Altar,  in  the  mystery  of  the  Consecra 
tion  and  the  Communion,  the  marvellous  fact  of  our 
union  with  the  Sacred  Heart  really  takes  place. 

One  day  during  Mass,  Mechtilde  saw  numberless 
graces  flowing  from  the  Heart  of  Jesus  on  faithful  souls. 

7* 


THE  SACRED  HEARTS  UNION  WITH  SOULS  73 

She  was  seized  with  a  great  longing  to  see  her  own  heart 
plunged  entirely  into  the  divine  Heart.  At  once,  she 
felt  that  it  was  thrown  into  this  adorable  Heart,  as  a  fish 
into  the  water. 

In  her  ardent  devotion  she  implored  our  Lord  to  teach 
her  what  dispositions  she  should  have  in  her  heart  so  as  to 
remain  in  the  happy  union  with  which  she  was  favoured. 
At  once,  the  Sacred  Heart  appeared  to  her  as  a  beautiful 
and  spacious  dwelling,  and  in  this  dwelling  she  saw  a 
smaller  one. 

"  It  is  in  this  way,"  said  our  Lord,  "  that  thy  soul  is 
always  enclosed  in  My  Heart,  and  I  in  the  heart  of  thy 
soul.  Thou  possessest  Me  within  thee  and  I  am  more 
intimately  united  to  thee  than  anything  else  can  be, 
and  yet  My  divine  Heart  is  so  great  and  so  superior  to 
thy  soul  that  it  seems  unable  to  attain  thereto." 

Mechtilde  also  saw  in  this  dwelling  of  the  divine 
Heart  four  beautiful  Virgins.  They  were  Humility, 
Patience,  Meekness  and  Charity,  this  last  more  beautiful 
than  the  others.  Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  Strive  to 
become  intimate  with  these  Virgins  and  to  obtain  their 
friendship  if  thou  wilt  remain  with  Me  in  this  dwelling 
of  My  Heart  and  enjoy  My  presence.  When  vanity  shall 
endeavour  to  weaken  thy  heart,  remember  My  charity, 
It  was  so  strong  that  it  drew  Me  from  My  rest  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  made  Me  descend  into  the  Virgin's 
womb,  wrapped  Me  in  swaddling  clothes  and  laid  Me 
in  a  manger;  it  obliged  Me  to  endure  great  labours  and 
to  preach  and  finally  made  Me  die  a  bitter  and  shameful 
death.  The  remembrance  of  these  things  will  drive 
out  all  vanity  from  thy  heart. 

"  In  the  same  way,  when  thou  shalt  be  tempted  by 
pride,  remember  My  humility.  It  always  prevented  Me 
from  lifting  Myself  up,  ever  so  little,  in  My  thoughts, 
words  or  actions.  Instead,  I  always  showed  in  all  My 
works  an  example  of  the  most  perfect  humility. 


74       THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

"  When  inclined  to  impatience,  remember  My  patience. 
I  kept  it  always  in  poverty,  hunger  and  thirst,  in  My 
wanderings  and  in  the  midst  of  injuries  and  insults,  and, 
above  all,  in  death. 

"  In  temptations  to  anger,  in  the  same  way  remember 
My  meekness ;  with  those  who  hated  peace,  I  was  peaceful 
and  meek,  to  such  a  degree,  that  I  obtained  from  My 
Father  the  forgiveness  of  My  executioners. 

"  In  this  way  thou  shalt  triumph  over  vices  by  virtues." 

In  this  way  also  we  may  dwell  in  the  Heart  of  Jesus, 
live  His  Life,  be  animated  with  His  Spirit  and  consumed 
with  His  love.  But  if  the  soul  has  entered  into  the 
divine  Heart,  it  is  in  order  to  enjoy  the  treasures  it 
contains.  It  opens:  our  Lord  draws  the  soul  and  says  to 
it:  "  The  higher  part  of  My  Heart,  that  nearest  to  the 
Divinity,  shall  pour  down  on  thee  the  sweetness  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  It  shall  distil  ceaselessly  on  thee  the  dew 
of  its  grace.  In  the  eagerness  of  thy  desires  raise  thine 
eyes  to  Him;  open  thy  mouth  and  breathe  in  the  sweet 
ness  of  divine  grace  according  as  it  is  said  in  the  Psalms: 
'  I  opened  my  mouth,  and  panted:  because  I  longed  for 
Thy  commandments  '  (Ps.  cxviii.  131). 

"  In  the  lower  part  of  My  Heart,  that  which  is 
nearest  to  My  Humanity,  thou  wilt  find  a  treasure  con 
taining  all  good  things  in  great  abundance  to  satisfy  all 
thy  desires." 

Our  Lord  then  developed  this  thought,  giving  to  His 
Sacred  Heart,  as  to  the  world,  four  cardinal  points.  He 
added:  "  In  the  east  of  My  Heart  thou  wilt  find  the  light 
of  true  wisdom;  it  will  make  thee  know  and  accomplish 
entirely  My  will.  In  the  western  part,  thou  shalt  behold 
a  delightful  paradise;  there  thou  shalt  always  be  with  Me, 
seated  at  my  table." 

What  a  magnificent  similitude  and  what  sublime 
possibilities  this  makes  us  see  !  The  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus  is  associated  in  the  divine  act  which  sends  the  Holy 


THE  SACRED  HEARTS  UNION  WITH  SOULS    75 

Spirit, in  to  our  souls,  spreading  in  it  the  sweetness  of  His 
grace.  The  Sacred  Heart,  source  of  that  blood  which 
redeemed  the  world,  and  centre  of  the  sorrows  of  the 
Passion,  contains  all  the  treasures  that  any  soul  might 
crave.  It  is  the  sun  which  gives  light;  it  is  the  place  of 
rest  for  souls  in  heaven.  And  so  our  Lord  speaks  to  our 
soul  and  says :  "  Let  it  seek  in  My  Heart  all  that  it  desires 
and  needs,  and  let  it  ask  it  of  Me  as  a  child  who  asks  its 
father  for  all  it  wants.  Does  it  need  purity  ?  Let  it 
have  recourse  to  My  innocence.  Humility  ?  Let  it  take 
it  from  Me.  Let  it  find  there  also  the  spirit  of  holy 
desires  and  take  with  confidence  My  love  and  the  holy 
and  divine  manner  in  which  I  acted  during  My  life  on 
earth." 

A  Last  Prayer  :  "  O  My  God !  I  beg  of  Thee  to  be 
merciful  to  My  soul  at  its  last  hour,  giving  it  the  assurance 
that  it  will  rest  on  Thee."  And  our  Lord  replied  at 
once:  "  What  wise  man  would  throw  away  and  destroy 
a  loved  treasure  gained  with  great  labour  ?  In  My 
Humanity  I  sanctified  the  whole  man.  In  Baptism  I 
vivified  by  My  Spirit  all  that  is  spiritual  in  him.  Let 
him  therefore  keep  himself  always  united  to  Me  on  two 
points :  let  him  trust  to  Me  all  that  is  in  man  as  tempta 
tions  and  trials,  offering  and  uniting  them  to  My  Human 
ity;  then  let  him  direct  to  Me  all  his  spiritual  affections, 
such  as  his  hope,  love  and  joy,  and  in  this  way  I  will  never 
abandon  him." 

O  Sacred  Heart,  we  will  trust  in  thee  during  our  whole 
life  and  especially  at  the  hour  of  our  death.  Fiat. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
CONSECRATED  SOULS:  THEIR  VOCATION 

IN  heaven  those  who  are  virgins  are  specially  loved 
by  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  From  this  Heart 
flow  endless  joys  which  first  rest  in  the  loving 
heart  of  its  Virgin  Mother  and  from  her  flow  into  the 
hearts  of  all  virgins. 

Feeling  and  seeing  all  the  love  and  tenderness  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  for  virgins,  Mechtilde  was  filled  with 
admiration  and  gratitude  for  the  marvellous  goodness  of 
God,  and  our  Lord  said  to  her:  "I  have  honoured 
virgins  above  all  the  other  Saints,  granting  them  three 
privileges. 

"  The  first  is  My  love  which  surpasses  that  of  all  other 
creatures.  Therefore  as  soon  as  the  first  virgin  had 
taken  her  vow  of  chastity  I  was  so  filled  with  love  that 
not  being  able  to  restrain  Myself,  I  came  down  from 
heaven  to  enter  entirely  into  her, 

"  The  second  is  the  wealth  which  I  shower  on  them. 
All  that  I  possess,  all  that  I  have  suffered,  I  give  them  for 
their  own. 

"  The  third  is  the  glory  which  surpasses  all  other  glory. 
At  their  approach  I  rise,  I  speak  to  them  in  sweet  mysteri 
ous  words,  and  they  only  can  enjoy  when  they  will  My 
holy  embrace." 

Then  Mechtilde  said:  "  Most  loving  Lord,  what  must 
those  fortunate  virgins,  chosen  by  Thee,  be  to  enjoy  such 
privileges?"  Jesus  answered:  "Noble,  beautiful,  and 
rich.  The  virgin  worthy  of  the  name,  chosen  for  My 
spouse,  must  be  noble  in  humility,  she  must  believe  her 
self  of  no  account,  thinking  of  herself  as  beneath  every 
other  creature  and  deserving  merely  contempt  and  ab- 

76 


CONSECRATED  SOULS:  THEIR  VOCATION    77 

jection.  The  more  humble  she  is  the  more  noble  she 
shall  be  in  the  glory  of  heaven.  As  for  Me,  I  will  add 
My  humility  to  hers,  and  this  will  be  for  her  the  highest 
nobility.  I  wish  her  also  to  be  beautiful — that  is,  patient ; 
the  more  patient  she  is  the  more  beautiful  she  shall  be, 
for  to  her  sufferings  I  will  add  those  of  My  Passion.  To 
complete  her  beauty  I  will  clothe  her  with  reflections 
of  the  divine  beauty,  which  I  received  from  My  Father 
before  the  creation  of  the  world. 

"  She  must  also  be  rich  in  virtue.  She  must  heap  up 
riches  of  all  the  virtues,  and  she  will  then  receive  from  Me 
the  incomparable  treasure  of  My  virtues,  and  so  she  will 
have  an  abundance  to  overflowing  of  eternal  joys." 

Humility  as  title-deed  to  nobility;  Patience  for  orna 
ment;  Virtues  for  riches.  These  are  the  three  con 
ditions  exacted  by  the  Sacred  Heart  from  a  soul  that  is 
to  be  His  spouse. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
THE  TIME  OF  TRIAL 

THE  soul  that  would  consecrate  itself  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  in  the  religious  state  must  during  the  novitiate 
submit  to  a  severe  training.     It  must  break  its 
will,  subdue  its  character,  overcome  its  nature,  accustom 
itself  to  the  requirements  of  the  Rule  and  of  the  common 
life.     Jesus  is  with  such  souls,  and  His  Sacred  Heart  longs 
to  unite  them  more  and  more  with  Him  by  the  bonds 
of  love.     Per  amoris  unionem. 

"  I  will  walk  in  their  midst,"  He  said  to  St.  Mechtilde, 
who  was  praying  for  the  young  recruits  in  the  Monastery 
of  Helfta,  "  and  I  will  dwell  in  them  and  they  shall  be 
My  people  (2  Cor.  vi.  1 6).  I  will  walk  in  their  midst  by 
their  holy  desires  and  good  will,  and  I  will  dwell  in  them 
by  love;  they  shall  be  My  people  by  this  life,  holy  and 
worthy  of  praise,  and  by  the  good  and  increase  they  bring 
to  the  Church.  All  whom  they  shall  attract  by  their 
good  example,  their  virtues  or  their  instructions,  whom 
they  shall  win  by  their  prayers,  when  they  pray  for  the 
spread  of  the  Faith,  for  the  conversion  of  sinners,  for  the 
deliverance  of  souls  from  their  pains,  all  these  shall  be 
considered  as  My  people. 

"  They  should  apply  themselves  carefully  to  the  follow 
ing  practices:  frequent  and  fervent  prayer,  reading  the 
Holy  Scriptures  and  listening  to  them  with  pleasure, 
working  assiduously,  obeying  the  Rule,  observing  with 
love  all  the  regulations  appointed  for  them,  perfect 
humility  in  everything,  never  thinking  themselves  equal 
to  others  and  despising  no  one.  While  they  pray  in  these 
dispositions  I  will  teach  them  My  will  and  all  that  shall 
be  necessary  for  them;  in  reading  I  will  teach  them  My 

78 


THE  TIME  OF  TRIAL  79 

sweetness.  I  will  sanctify  them  in  their  labours,  in  obey 
ing  and  in  the  observance  of  the  Rule  I  will  have  pity 
on  them,  I  will  strengthen  them  and  help  them,  and  in 
their  humility;  I  will  rest  in  them." 

But  let  the  young  betrothed  of  Christ  be  attentive  to 
see  this  God,  so  full  of  tenderness,  everywhere,  as  He  is 
always  with  them  in  the  labours  of  the  Novitiate.  And 
what  will  He  do  for  them  on  the  day  of  their  Virginal 
Espousals  with  Him  ?  He  will,  on  that  day,  transform 
them  and  make  them  less  unworthy  of  Him.  "  In  order 
to  prepare  for  this  great  day,  they  must,"  He  says,  "beg 
Me  to  give  them  intelligent  eyes  to  see  Me  and  to  know 
what  is  for  their  good;  obedient  ears,  ready  for  every 
command  and  will  of  their  Superiors,  a  wise  mouth  in 
order  to  celebrate  My  praise,  to  teach  and  say  what  is 
profitable  for  others.  Let  them  plead  with  Me  to  give 
them  a  loving  heart  which  will  love  Me  and  love  all 
purely  in  Me  and  for  Me,  and  to  have  also  a  share  in 
good  works;  then  what  they  do  shall  be  done  carefully 
and  attentively." 

When  the  Litany  was  said  for  the  newly  Professed, 
St.  Mechtilde  saw  our  Blessed  Lady,  and  then  each  Saint, 
as  he  was  named,  rise  and  kneel  reverently  before  our 
Lord,  praying  for  them.  And  while  they  made  their 
holy  Profession  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  received  them 
lovingly  into  His  arms,  giving  them  His  right  hand  to 
strengthen  them  in  keeping  their  vows,  and  to  protect 
them  from  all  evil.  When  they  approached  to  receive 
Holy  Communion,  each  found  herself  closely  united  to 
Him  in  a  sweet  embrace. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
TEPIDITT 

SOMETIMES  souls  who  are  bound  by  religious 
profession  to  the  service  of  God  forget  the  gravity 
of  their  engagements.  Without  entirely  breaking 
the  bonds  which  unite  them  to  the  divine  Heart  they 
allow  them  little  by  little  to  get  slack  and  so  fall  into 
numerous  acts  of  negligence.  In  the  Life  of  St.  Margaret 
Mary,  we  see  the  divine  Spouse  irritated  by  the  tepidity 
of  His  unfaithful  spouses,  asking  for  public  reparation. 
Something  of  the  same  kind  is  narrated  for  us  in  the 
Book  of  Special  Grace. 

One  Friday  Mechtilde  saw  our  Lord  standing  on  the 
altar,  His  hands  outstretched,  blood  pouring  abundantly 
from  His  wounds  as  during  His  Passion.  He  said  to  her: 
"  See,  all  My  wounds  are  reopened  in  order  to  appease 
the  anger  of  the  Father  against  you." 

The  glorious  Virgin  Mary  stood  at  her  Son's  right 
hand.  On  her  head  was  placed  a  beautiful  crown  in 
which,  like  precious  pearls,  shone  her  virtues,  merits 
and  all  the  great  things  that  God  had  deigned  to  work 
in  her.  Mechtilde,  drawing  near,  begged  her  to  pray 
for  herself  and  the  Order.  The  Queen  of  Heaven,  at 
once,  bending  her  knees  before  her  Son,  honoured 
devoutly  His  wounds  with  great  respect.  She  commanded 
Mechtilde  to  do  the  same.  "  Come,  also,"  she  said  to 
her,  "  honour  the  wounds  in  the  beloved  Heart  of  My 
Son  which  caused  Him  to  bear  all  the  sufferings  of  His 
body." 

When  Mechtilde  had  gladly  done  this,  she  begged  our 
Lord  to  reveal  to  her  what  He  most  wished  her  to  do 
for  the  increase  of  religion.  He  replied :  "  He  who  really 

80 


TEPIDITT  8 1 

wishes  to  become  religious  must  keep  his  eyes  from  all 
forbidden  or  even  useless  looks.  He  must  abstain  from 
hearing  anything  that  might  sully  his  heart;  he  must 
prevent  his  mouth  from  ever  uttering  a  useless  word,  and 
if  he  has  seen  or  heard  anything  evil  he  must  never 
permit  his  mouth  to  speak  of  it.  Above  all,  he  must 
guard  his  heart  and  watch  that  it  never  takes  pleasure 
in  bad  thoughts  and  that  it  never  dwells  on  them  willingly. 
Man  cannot  prevent  such  thoughts  from  presenting 
themselves,  but  he  can  easily  drive  them  away,  so  as  not 
to  consent  to  them,  nor  dwell  on  them  willingly.  He 
must  also  carefully  watch  his  actions,  and  whenever  he 
finds  he  has  done  wrong  on  some  point,  his  heart  must 
have  no  rest  until  he  has  asked  God's  pardon  and  purposed 
going  to  Confession  as  soon  as  possible." 

To  understand  well  the  signification  of  this  lesson  of 
Jesus  to  His  humble  servant  we  must  remember  that  He 
appeared  to  her  in  the  state  of  a  Victim.  He  therefore 
does  not  speak  of  religious  virtues  which  console  His 
Heart,  but  of  faults  and  negligences  which  sadden  it. 
The  perfection  He  exacts  from  His  spouses  does  not,  of 
course,  admit  of  any  wilful  sin,  but  furthermore,  as  we 
shall  see  later,  it  expects  the  practice  of  all  religious  virtues. 

This  lesson  of  the  Sacred  Heart  addressed  to  Religious 
is  given  here  as  a  reproach.  In  another  place  He  repeats 
it  as  a  counsel  to  a  soul  whom  He  wishes  to  draw  to  His 
love. 

"  How  I  should  love  to  be  Thy  slave  !"  St.  Mechtilde 
said  to  Him  one  day.  Our  Lord  replied :  "  He  who  would 
be  a  slave  on  earth  must  deny  to  his  eyes  all  that  is  for 
bidden  and  useless  and  restrain  them  in  all  things ;  and  I 
in  the  glory  of  heaven  will  open  the  eyes  of  that  person, 
revealing  to  him  the  brightness  of  My  face,  and  I  will 
manifest  My  glory  to  him.  I  will  show  Myself  to  him 
in  such  a  delightful  way  that  all  the  heavenly  court  shall 
be  in  joy  and  admiration."  "  And  also  to  him  who  keeps 

6 


82   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART: 

his  ears  captive  and  prevents  them  hearing  anything  that 
is  useless  or  hurtful  I  will  sing  sweetly  a  melody  of  special 
glory  in  eternity."  "  He  who  puts  a  check  on  his  lips, 
to  prevent  idle  or  hurtful  words,  shall  receive  from  Me 
the  great  gift  to  open  them  to  My  praise  and  to  celebrate 
My  glory  more  worthily  than  others."  "  He  who  keeps 
his  heart  from  all  vain  or  evil  thoughts,  from  all  improper 
desires,  shall  be  liberally  rewarded  by  Me;  he  shall  obtain 
from  Me  all  he  desires  and  his  heart  shall  taste  great 
liberty  and  happiness  without  end  in  My  divine  Heart. 
He  who  binds  his  hands  that  they  may  commit  no  sin 
will  be  delivered  from  all  toil.  I  will  give  him  a  glorious 
and  eternal  rest,  I  will  bestow  on  his  good  actions  united 
to  Mine  so  much  honour  that  all  the  celestial  Court  will 
receive  an  increase  of  joy." 


CHAPTER  XXX 
THE  PRACTICE  OF  VIRTUE 

FOR  a  soul  consecrated  to  God  it  is  not  sufficient 
to  hate  evil,  be  it  ever  so  heartily;  it  must  also 
have  a  great  love  for  all  the  virtues  of  its  holy  state. 
Hoc  sentite  in  vobis  quod  et  in  Christo  Jesu.  Its  thoughts, 
affections,  desires  and  all  its  works  must  be  in  harmony 
with  those  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus. 

Blessed  John  Eudes  tells  us:  "  The  Hearts  of  Jesus  and 
Mary  are  only  One  Heart,  for  they  are  animated  with  the 
same  desires  and  burn  with  the  same  love."  In  the  same 
way,  one  ought  to  be  able  to  say  that  the  Heart  of  Jesus 
and  the  heart  of  a  Religious  make  only  one  heart. 

St.  Mechtilde  was  praying  for  her  sisters,  asking  God  to 
increase  His  grace  in  them,  making  them  abound  in  virtue 
and  good  works  of  every  kind.  She  received  this  answer 
from  our  Lord:  "  As  long  as  I  find  in  them  humble  sub 
mission,  love  of  virginal  purity,  loving  gratitude  and 
tender  love,  I  will  never  turn  away  from  them  the  pro 
tecting  eyes  of  a  Father,  and  I  will  never  forsake  them  in 
their  needs." 

A  humble  submission — that  is,  obedience  to  their 
Superiors — and  a  gentle,  simple  deference  among  them 
selves. 

Love  of  virginal  purity,  which  does  not  merely  consist 
in  preserving  virginity,  but  also  in  the  love  they  must 
have  for  chastity,  in  the  care  with  which  they  must  guard 
their  hearts  and  senses  in  order  to  avoid  all  that  could 
stain  them.  A  present  lovingly  received  is  so  treated, 
it  is  considered  very  valuable,  and  great  care  is  taken  that 
it  should  be  neither  lost  nor  spoilt. 

A  loving  gratitude,  which  causes  them  to  accept  from 


84   SHE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEAR! 

God  with  thanksgiving  not  only  spiritual  gifts,  but  also 
what  is  necessary  for  the  body,  as  clothing  and  food,  they 
will  receive  all  with  a  loving,  contented  heart,  always 
thinking  that  more  is  given  than  they  have  deserved.  A 
tender  love  with  which  they  will  love  God  sincerely  and 
each  other  for  God,  striving  to  outdo  each  other  in 
kind  deeds. 

But  of  all  the  virtues  suitable  to  Religious,  the  Heart 
of  Jesus  prefers  Obedience.  The  gift  of  Perseverance 
is  its  fruit.  "  From  the  day  that  a  Religious  gives  up 
to  Me  her  own  will  and  leaves  it  in  the  hands  of  her 
Superiors,  I  have  received  her  into  My  arms;  I  shall  not 
allow  her  to  go  far  from  Me,  unless  she  herself  turns  back 
and  avoids  Me.  If  she  does  this,  she  cannot  return  to 
her  former  place  without  humbling  herself." 

By  these  words  Mechtilde  understood  that  Jesus  on 
the  day  of  Profession  takes  each  Religious  into  His  fatherly 
arms,  and  does  not  in  future  leave  him  unless  (which  God 
forbid)  he  wilfully  refuses  to  obey.  This  is,  in  a  sense, 
to  escape  out  of  our  Lord's  hands.  These  hands  will  not 
receive  him  again  unless,  by  true  repentance  and  fitting 
satisfaction,  he  prostrates  himself  humbly  before  God, 
promising  solemnly  to  obey  in  future. 

Our  Lord  confirmed  this  doctrine  by  a  vision.  Mech 
tilde  saw  the  soul  of  a  deceased  Religious,  and,  as  she 
asked  why  it  was  not  in  heaven,  our  Lord  replied:  "  He 
thought  himself  wiser  than  his  Superior,  of  whose  actions 
he  disapproved,  thinking  he  knew  better.  This  caused  him 
to  be  separated  from  Me  after  his  death,  for  a  Religious 
is  never  so  wise  but  that  he  should  submit  himself  humbly 
to  his  Superior,  and  bow  to  his  authority  in  all  that  is 
good." 

If  Religious  only  understood  their  happiness  !  On  their 
Profession  day  Jesus  receives  them  into  His  arms,  clasping 
them  to  His  Sacred  Heart;  He  will  never  let  them  go  as 
long  as  their  will  submits  to  their  Superiors.  Happy  the 


THE  PRACTICE  OF  VIRTUE  85 

Community  composed  of  such  subjects  !  Mechtilde 
once  saw  hers  gathered  round  our  Lord.  From  His 
Sacred  Heart  rays  penetrated  each  soul,  and  our  Lord 
extended  His  hand  to  fill  each  with  His  glory,  saying: 
"  Behold,  I  shower  on  you  the  gifts  of  My  glorified 
humanity;  preserve  them  by  purity  of  heart,  by  loving 
union  one  with  the  other,  and  by  true  patience,  and  on 
the  day  of  Judgment  you  will  offer  them  joyfully  to  Me, 
in  yourselves." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
THE  RENEWAL  OF  OUR  FIRST  FERVOUR 

EGLECT  not  the  grace  that  is  in  thee."  This 
recommendation  of  the  Apostle  to  his  disciple 
may  be  made  to  all  Christians.  They  are 
invited  to  renew  on  the  anniversary  of  their  Baptism  the 
grace  they  then  received;  but  it  may  be  made  specially 
to  souls  consecrated  to  God.  These  ought  to  renew  the 
grace  of  their  vocation  to  the  Religious  Life  at  particular 
epochs. 

Our  sleeping  evil  nature  wakes  up  as  the  serpent  after 
the  winter  cold.  We  are  disgusted  with  the  fatigues  and 
monotony  of  practising  virtue.  We  may  even  get  so 
absorbed  in  the  exercise  of  charitable  works,  as  to  forget 
the  principal  end  to  be  aimed  at  and  the  programme  of 
perfection  from  which  we  must  never  deviate.  In  this 
way,  a  Religious,  after  having  begun  well,  soon  shows  sad 
signs  of  tepidity,  if  he  has  no  zeal  for  the  exercise  of 
spiritual  renovation,  which  in  our  time  bears  the  name  of 
the  Monthly  Retreat. 

Our  vocation  has  its  source  in  the  Sacred  Heart,  and  it 
is  also  in  that  Sacred  Heart  that  it  must  be  renewed.  The 
Religious  of  Helfta  were  faithful  in  making  this  renovation. 
St.  Gertrude,  as  we  shall  see  later  on,  had  composed  a 
series  of  exercises  in  order  to  help  them.  There  was  an 
exercise  to  renew  the  grace  of  Baptism,  for  that  of  the 
Clothing  and  Profession,  for  that  of  renewal  in  the  love 
of  God  and  zeal  for  His  praise,  and  an  exercise  of  Pre 
paration  for  Death.  In  all  these  compositions  the  Sacred 
Heart  is  constantly  studied. 

When  St.  Mechtilde  was  one  day  reviewing  her  past 
years  in  bitterness  of  soul,  thinking  how  carelessly  she  had 

86 


THE  RENEWAL  OF  OUR  FIRST  FERVOUR     87 

lived,  how  many  gratuitous  graces  she  had  received  from 
God,  how  her  consecration  to  God  as  His  spouse  had 
been  stained  by  her  sins,  our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  If  thou 
hadst  the  choice,  which  wouldst  thou  prefer,  to  have 
acquired  by  thy  own  labour  and  virtues  the  gifts  I  have 
given  thee,  or  to  have  received  them  gratuitously  from 
Me?"  She  replied:  "My  Lord,  I  value  the  smallest 
gift  Thou  dost  give  me  more  than  all  the  merits  of  the 
Saints,  even  if  I  could  obtain  them  by  the  greatest  labours 
and  the  practice  of  all  the  virtues."  Our  Lord  answered: 
"  Mayest  thou  be  eternally  blessed  for  saying  that." 

He  added:  "  If  thou  wilt  renew  thy  promises,  draw 
near  to  My  feet  and  give  thanks  for  the  garment  of 
innocence  with  which  I  have  gratuitously  clothed  thee, 
for  thou  hadst  in  no  way  merited  it;  beg  that  My  immacu 
late  purity  may  supply  for  all  that  is  vitiated  in  thee. 
Give  thanks  for  all  the  good  works  wrought  by  My  hands, 
which  are  a  source  of  merit  for  thee,  and  also  for  the 
works,  operated  in  thee,  by  Me.  Then  plunge  the 
divine  ring  of  thy  faith  and  love  in  the  furnace  of  My 
Heart,  as  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  wash  the  stone  in  the 
water  and  blood  of  My  Heart,  so  that  it  may  regain  its 
value  and  brilliancy." 

In  these  words  Jesus  conveys  a  lesson,  but  He  also  lets 
us  get  a  glimpse  of  a  delightful  secret  of  His  Heart.  The 
lesson  consists  in  teaching  us  again  to  steep  our  soul  and 
all  its  powers  in  His  sacred  wounds,  especially  in  the 
wound  of  His  Sacred  Heart,  but  the  secret  He  lets  us  see 
ought  to  inspire  us  with  a  boundless  confidence.  This 
Sacred  Heart  will  be  ready  to  supply  for  all  our  infidelities 
to  the' graces  we  have  received.  If  the  capital  He  had 
confided  to  us  has  not  yielded  all  the  hoped-for  interest, 
He  will  still  give  the  reward  promised  to  the  faithful 
servant. 

O  Lord  Jesus  !  we  have  so  often  spoilt  Thy  plans  and 
frustrated  Thy  graces,  how  happy  would  we  be  if,  like 


88   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

Thy  humble  servant,  we  could  say:  "  I  value  the  smallest 
gift  Thou  dost  give  me  more  than  all  the  merits  of  the 
Saints,  if  I  could  obtain  them  by  the  greatest  labours 
and  the  practice  of  all  the  virtues." 

At  the  same  time  the  soul  must  examine  herself  and 
scrutinize  the  most  intimate  dispositions  of  her  heart. 
Our  Lord  would  Himself  one  day  make  this  examination 
when  Mechtilde  heard  these  words  read  in  the  Gospel: 
"  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  Me  more  than  these  ?" 
He  said  to  her:  "  I  am  going  also  to  question  thee:  thou 
wilt  reply  with  all  sincerity.  Is  there  anything  in  the 
world  so  dear  to  thee  that  thou  wouldst  not  give  it  up, 
if  possible,  for  My  love  f"  She  replied:  "  Thou  knowest, 
Lord,  that  if  all  the  world  and  all  it  contains  belonged 
to  me,  I  would  give  it  all  up  for  Thy  love."  Our  Lord 
recorded  this  reply  as  though  in  reality  she  possessed  all 
this  and  had  given  it  up. 

He  then  questioned  her  a  second  time:  "  Is  there  any 
labour,  any  burden  that  obedience  could  lay  on  thee 
that  would  seem  to  thee  too  heavy  to  be  borne  for  My 
love?"  She  answered:  "Lord,  I  am  ready  to  suffer 
everything  for  Thy  Name." 

Our  Lord  said  a  third  time :  "  Is  there  any  crushing 
pain  that  thou  wouldst  refuse  to  bear  for  My  love  ?" 
She  answered:  "My  Lord,  with  Thee,  and  with  Thy 
help,  I  am  ready  to  endure  every  kind  of  pain." 

The  Lord  judged  the  test  sufficient  and  accepted  the 
assurances  as  if  they  had  been  verified  in  fact.  As  to  the 
dispositions  of  her  heart,  in  her  intercourse  with  God 
and  men,  our  Lord  condescended  to  tell  Mechtilde  what 
they  should  be,  if  they  were  to  be  pleasing  to  Him.  A 
consecrated  soul  will  do  its  utmost  to  obtain  or  to  renew 
them  in  itself. 

"  The  soul  of  a  Religious,"  He  said,  "  should  conduct 
itself  towards  Me  as  a  child  who  tenderly  loves  its  Father 
and  turns  to  him  for  all  its  wants.  It  must  be  like  a 


THE  RENEWAL  OF  OUR  FIRST  FERVOUR    89 

betrothed  virgin,  who  has  not  been  sought  for  her  wealth 
or  beauty  or  nobility,  but  who  is  cherished  by  pure  love 
and  chosen  for  the  honour  of  occupying  a  throne.  This 
virgin  would  naturally  be  more  grateful,  more  faithful 
and  more  loving.  If  her  spouse  causes  her  pain,  or  she 
has  something  to  bear  through  him,  she  will  show  more 
patience.  In  the  same  way  My  spouse  must  gratefully 
remember  the  choice  I  made  of  her  before  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  her  ransom  for  which  I  paid  the  price  of  My 
Precious  Blood,  and  her  special  vocation  to  My  love  and 
intimacy. 

"  She  must  also  be  to  Me  what  one  friend  is  to  another, 
who  can  look  upon  what  belongs  to  his  friend  as  his  own. 
She  must  seek  the  glory  of  God  in  all  things  and  augment 
it  as  much  as  possible.  She  must  never  view  with  in 
difference  anything  that  is  done  against  God. 

"  When  she  communicates,  she  should  be  like  a  queen 
who  goes  to  her  king.  A  queen  at  the  king's  table  is 
liberal;  she  distributes  gifts  and  alms.  My  spouse  should 
in  the  same  way  distribute  liberally  to  all  the  gifts  of  her 
King  and  the  help  of  her  prayers. 

"  In  the  choir  and  during  prayer  she  should  be  with 
Me  as  a  young  bride  with  her  spouse,  treating  Me  with 
love  and  sweet  familiarity. 

"  Among  men  she  should  act  towards  Me  as  a  little 
dog  acts  towards  its  master.  No  matter  how  often  he 
is  sent  away,  he  continues  to  follow  his  master.  In  the 
same  way,  if  My  spouse  hears  among  others  some  sinful 
words,  she  must  return  by  contrition,  confiding  in  My 
mercy,  for  I  can  forgive  all  for  a  single  sigh." 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  SACRED  HEART  SHOULD  BE  THE  ONLT 
TREASURE  OF  A  RELIGIOUS 

FAITHFUL  soul,  who  lovest  God,  consider  care 
fully  and  lovingly  the  commandment  which  Jesus 
has  laid  upon  thee. 

He  has  chosen  thee  as  His  spouse,  and  thou  hast  in  Him 
a  Spouse  eternally  young  and  full  of  beauty.  Thy  union, 
solicited  by  Him,  has  been  consummated,  thanks  to  His 
grace,  on  the  day  of  thy  solemn  espousals,  so  full  of  joy 
to  His  Heart. 

He  arrayed  Himself,  for  love  of  thee,  in  .a  purple  robe 
which  love  had  dyed  with  the  blood  of  His  Heart.  He 
placed  on  His  head  a  crown  of  lilies  and  roses,  and  the 
costly  pearls  of  this  crown  were  the  drops  of  His  Precious 
Blood.  In  place  of  gloves  His  Hands  were  stained  with 
His  blood;  the  nails  had  so  pierced  them  that  He  could 
hold  nothing,  but  allowed  thee  to  have  all  that  He  had 
so  long  hidden,  for  the  salvation  of  the  world.  His  noble 
mystical  couch  was  the  hard  Cross,  which  He  ardently 
desired;  no  spouse  ever  found,  on  ivory  couch  covered 
with  silks,  such  great  happiness  or  joy.  On  this  couch 
of  His  love,  He  still  awaits  thee,  longing  to  enjoy  thy 
embrace.  And  now,  if  thou  wilt  be  His  spouse,  thou 
must  renounce  all  pleasure,  draw  near  to  this  couch  of 
suffering  and  ignominy,  and  rest  closely  united  with  His 
wounded  Heart. 

Consider  in  silence  what  a  precious  pledge  He  has 
given  thee  in  opening  to  thee  this  loving  Heart;  what 
sweet  drink  of  love  He  has  poured  out  to  cure  all  the  ills 
of  thy  soul.  This  noble  pledge  is  indeed  inestimable,  for 

9° 


'THE  TREASURE  OF  A  RELIGIOUS         91 

all  grace,  all  virtue  and  all  goodness  are  contained  therein, 
and  the  Spouse  who  makes  it  the  pledge  of  His  fidelity 
will  never  deprive  thee  of  it.  He  acts  as  a  king  who  has 
not  yet  brought  his  young  bride  to  his  palace;  he  places, 
as  a  pledge  of  his  honour,  a  rich  city  in  the  hands  of  her 
friends.  So  the  Spouse  who  loves  thee  has  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  eternal  Father  this  precious  gift  of  His 
divine  Heart.  It  is  the  token  that  He  will  never  abandon 
thee  His  spouse;  and  each  day  He  offers  it  again  for  thee 
on  the  altar  in  testimony  of  the  love  He  has  had  for  thee 
from  all  eternity. 

Do  thou,  then,  daughter  of  the  eternal  Father,  chosen 
spouse  of  His  only  Son,  friend  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who 
seeks  in  this  Son  His  rest,  love  thy  Beloved  who  has  so 
loved  thee  and  is  all  love.  Be  faithful  to  Him  who  is 
fidelity  itself.  When  some  pain  comes  to  thee,  accept 
it  as  a  golden  chain  thrown  to  thee  by  God,  to  draw  thee 
to  the  love  of  His  Son.  Allow  thyself  to  follow  this 
sweet  attraction;  raise  thyself;  rouse  thy  heart  so  that  the 
attraction  may  be  more  powerful;  make  it  easier  by  grati 
tude  and  patience,  and  never  forget  that  God  means  to 
accomplish  thy  salvation  by  these  means. 

Think  also  of  all  the  virtues  you  have  yet  to  acquire. 
If  you  need  humility  or  any  other  virtue,  open  with  the 
key  of  love  this  precious  treasury  of  all  virtues,  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus  Christ.  Beg  of  Him,  King  of  all  virtues, 
to  give  you  those  with  which  He  was  Himself  adorned, 
and  you  will  triumph  over  all  the  assaults  of  vice.  If  the 
devil,  sower  of  evil  thoughts,  surprises  you,  have  recourse 
to  the  same  treasury  and  take  from  it  the  choicest  weapons. 
These  weapons  are  the  Passion  and  Death  of  our  Lord; 
make  the  thought  of  them  dwell  in  the  inmost  recesses 
of  your  heart;  it  will  disperse  and  put  to  flight  all  evil 
thoughts.  When  sadness  or  despair  assails  you,  have 
recourse  to  the  treasure  of  His  inexhaustible  tenderness. 
It  is  the  wish  of  the  divine  Heart  that  none  should  perish, 


92   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

but  that  all  should  know  and  love  the  truth,  excepting 
those  who  wilfully  choose  damnation.  Remember  that 
God  is  more  eager  to  seek  man  than  man  is  to  find  God. 
He  desires  above  all  things  that  man  should  always  be 
disposed  to  receive  His  grace  and  to  grow  more  and  more 
in  all  virtues. 

The  Sacred  Heart  is  entirely  made  known  to  us  in  these 
lines  of  St.  Mechtilde.  She  shows  it  to  us  as  the  treasury 
of  the  divinity,  containing  all  grace,  all  virtues,  and  every 
kind  of  good.  We  can  open  this  Heart  with  the  key  of 
love,  and  we  shall  find  therein  every  virtue  we  need, 
weapons  against  our  foe,  the  certainty  and  pledge  of  its 
Love.  Of  itself,  this  Heart  longs  to  bestow  its  gifts,  and 
it  is  only  anxious  to  prepare  men  to  receive  them.  It  has 
given  itself  as  a  pledge  for  us  to  the  eternal  Father,  and 
it  is  always  ready  to  pay  our  debts,  to  supply  for  our 
failings,  and  to  turn  away  the  punishment  we  deserve. 
If  in  the  thirteenth  century  this  Heart  seemed  a  treasury 
reserved  for  holy  souls,  let  us  remember  that  since  the 
seventeenth  it  has  become  the  possession  of  all,  especially 
of  the  most  miserable.  May  all  our  efforts  tend  to  make 
our  souls  capable  of  possessing  it.  Et  Cor  Tuum,  ut 
magis  trabatur,  habilita. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

A  RELIGIOUS  BELOVED  BY  THE  SACRED  HEART 
IS  A  TREASURE  IN  A  COMMUNITY 

ONE  Sunday  illness  prevented  Mechtilde  from 
communicating.  She  was  much  grieved  and  said 
to  our  Lord:  "  My  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  now 
that  I  do  ?"  He  said:  "  Come  "  three  times.  She  did 
not  understand.  "  Come,"  He  explained,  "  from  heart 
to  heart  by  love,  from  mouth  to  mouth  by  a  kiss,  from 
spirit  to  spirit  by  union." 

She  understood  what  was  meant  by  "  from  heart  to 
heart  by  love,"  and  also  the  second  expression  "  from 
mouth  to  mouth  by  a  kiss  " — that  is,  showing  by  exterior 
actions  her  love  for  the  Man-God,  but  she  asked  herself 
what  it  meant  to  go  to  Him  from  spirit  to  spirit.  Our 
Lord  said  to  her:  "  He  who  renounces  his  own  will  in  all 
that  happens,  whether  it  be  pleasant  or  otherwise,  and 
prefers  My  will  to  his  own,  comes  to  Me  {  from  spirit 
to  spirit  by  union,'  and  that  which  is  written  shall  be 
fulfilled  in  Him :  *  He  who  loves  God  becomes  one  with 
Him/  " 

She  then  began  to  pray  that  a  misfortune  then  threaten 
ing  the  monastery  might  be  averted  by  God's  mercy, 
Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  Thou  art  My  joy  and  I  am  thine; 
as  long  as  thou  livest  and  art  the  joy  of  My  Heart,  no  such 
misfortune  shall  happen  to  the  monastery."  She  replied : 
"  Oh,  my  Beloved  !  why  dost  Thou  speak  thus,  since  there 
is  nothing  of  good  in  me?"  He  replied:  "If  vinegar 
and  honey  are  mixed  together  the  latter  loses  its  sweet 
ness,  but  Mine  will  never  be  so  mixed  as  to  disappear." 

The  following  was  added  by  St.  Gertrude  after 
93 


94       THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

St.  Mechtilde's  death.  "  See,  My  Beloved,  how  powerful 
is  the  prayer  of  the  just  man,  and  what  grace  God  bestows 
on  man  because  of  His  friends;  truly  are  Thy  friends 
honoured,  O  my  God;  they  can  never  be  sufficiently 
loved  and  revered,  who  so  often  appease  Thy  wrath 
kindled  against  us  and  draw  down  on  us  Thy  blessing. 
*  Who  will  give  water  to  my  head  and  a  fountain  of  tears 
to  my  eyes '  (Jer.  ix.  i)  worthily  to  weep  for  one  who 
interceded  for  us  through  love,  and  whom  we  have  lost  ? 
Because  of  her  the  Lord  Almighty  has  often  spared  us; 
many  times  have  we  experienced  the  efficacy  of  her 
prayers  !  Inflamed  by  divine  love  as  a  glowing  coal,  she 
urged  us  to  love  God.  Alas,  where  shall  we  find  her 
equal,  now  that  she  has  entered  into  the  joy  of  her  Lord  ? 
She  has  entered  into  the  nuptial  chamber  of  the  Lord 
of  all,  to  rest  in  the  shadow  of  her  Beloved." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE  SACRED  HEART  AND   THE  PREACHERS 
OF  THE  GOSPEL 

OUR  Lord,  through  St.  Margaret  Mary,  promised 
that  priests  devout  to  the  Sacred  Heart  should 
have  the  gift  of  converting  souls.     Such  a  promise 
is  not  found  in  the  Book  of  Special  Grace.,  but  the  part 
taken  by  the  Sacred  Heart  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
is  to  be  found  therein. 

Mechtilde  prayed  for  a  Friar  Preacher.  Our  Lord  said 
to  her:  "  I  have  chosen  him  for  Myself,  and  he  shall  be 
Mine  for  all  eternity.  I  will  be  his  Guide  and  co-operate 
in  all  his  labours.  I  will  be  his  Protector,  Consoler,  and 
Procurator  of  the  house  in  which  he  dwells.  When  he 
preaches  may  My  Heart  be  in  his  mouth  a  sounding 
trumpet;  when  he  teaches  may  My  Heart  be  his  book." 

Preaching  and  teaching  coming  from  the  Sacred  Heart 
must  enlighten  and  transform  souls.  "  I  have  left  Myself 
to  his  will,"  said  our  Lord  of  another  Friar  Preacher. 
"  I  will  never  strike  a  sinner  against  his  will,  and  to  all 
those  for  whom  he  prays  I  will  give  the  grace  he  begs. 
As  a  light  feather  carried  away  by  the  wind  gets  caught 
in  the  liquid  balm,  so  his  soul  will  be  bound  fast  to  My 
divine  Heart." 

How  happy  must  be  a  priest  who  has  such  power,  even 
over  our  Lord;  a  power  to  convert  sinners  and  enrich  the 
just  with  treasures  of  grace  !  And  yet  this  extraordinary 
privilege  is  offered  to  every  priest  who  is  earnest  in  the 
worship  and  love  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  "  I  will  give 
priests  the  gift  of  touching  the  most  hardened  hearts." 
May,  therefore,  the  Sacred  Heart  be  our  Book  !  May  the 
Sacred  Heart  be  our  speaking  trumpet  ! 

95 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  THOSE  WHO  SUFFER 

SINCE  original  sin  appeared  in  the  world  sorrow 
has  become  man's  daily  bread,  but  he  has  never 
been  able  to  get  used  to  such  a  hard  fate.  God 
has  therefore  treated  him  as  mothers  treat  their  little 
children.  The  Incarnate  Word  came  to  taste  the  bitter 
ness  of  our  sorrows,  and  He  then  offers  them  to  us, 
sweetened  by  His  grace  and  enriched  by  His  merits. 
Then,  also,  the  Sacred  Heart  is  come  to  add  by  the  charm 
of  its  tenderness  to  all  the  other  motives  for  accepting 
suffering  in  a  Christian  spirit.  Its  condescension  for 
those  who  weep  is  a  mystery  of  love. 

Adam's  sin  is  the  source  of  all  our  sorrows,  and  from 
the  root  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil 
a  river  of  tears  sprang  up  which  constantly  inundates  the 
earth.  But  as  all  possible  sufferings  met  in  Jesus  at  the 
time  of  the  Passion,  dolores  nostros  ipse  portavit,  so  it  is 
from  His  Sacred  Heart  that  now  they  are  distributed  to 
His  faithful  disciples.  Let  us  refer  them  to  this  divine 
Heart  with  the  homage  of  our  submission  and  gratitude. 

"  O  Love  !  I  offer  them  to  Thee  for  the  same  inten 
tions  as  Thou  didst  bring  them  to  me  from  the  Sacred 
Heart  of  God,  and  when  they  have  been  perfected,  I  pray 
Thee  to  return  them  there." 

Such  is  the  lesson  our  Lord  deigned  to  give  to  His  well- 
beloved  spouse.  She  saw  herself  one  day  in  a  most 
beautiful  mansion,  and  recognized  that  she  was  in  the 
Heart  of  Christ.  She  prostrated  herself  on  a  large  cross 
that  lay  on  the  ground.  And  from  the  cross  sprang  a 
sharp  golden  arrow  which  pierced  her  heart.  She  then 

96 


?HE  SWEETNESS  OF  SUFFERING          97 

heard  our  Lord  say:  "  All  the  goods  of  earth  could  not 
fill  one  soul  with  joy,  but  it  is  in  suffering  and  sorrow  that 
it  will  find  salvation  and  glory."  And  our  Lord  added: 
"  A  silken  garment  is  soft  and  pleasant,  so  every  suffering 
is  sweet  to  a  soul  that  really  loves  God." 

Mechtilde  replied:  "  That  is  true  in  the  beginning  of 
pain  when  a  soul  is  inflamed  with  love,  but  if  the  pain 
increases  it  becomes  hard  to  bear."  Our  Lord  answered: 
"  No  doubt;  but  if  a  silken  garment  is  adorned  with  gold 
and  precious  stones  it  is  not  thrown  away  nor  despised 
because  of  its  weight;  rather,  on  account  of  its  adornment, 
is  it  considered  more  valuable  and  distinguished.  And 
so  a  faithful  soul  will  not  refuse  suffering  because  it  is 
too  painful;  for  by  it  the  soul's  virtues  will  become  more 
perfect  and  its  merits  infinitely  increased." 

Who  would  not  submit  to  pain  offered  in  this  way 
by  the  Sacred  Heart  ?  Mechtilde  accepted  the  trial  of 
sickness,  signified  by  the  cross  and  sharp  golden  arrow. 

And  why  did  our  Lord  once  clasp  Mechtilde  with  His 
left  arm,  so  that  she  rested  on  the  wound  of  His  Sacred 
Heart  ?  He  tells  us  Himself:  "  When  thou  art  ill  I  hold 
thee  with  My  left  arm,  and  when  thou  art  well  with  My 
right  arm;  but  remember  that  when  thou  art  held  by 
My  left  arm  thou  art  much  nearer  My  Heart." 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

THE   SACRED   HEART:   WISHES    <IO   CONSOLE 
THOSE  WHO  SUFFER 

t    |    AHE  first  act  of  a  soul  that  is  in  pain  ought  to  be 
to  throw  itself  into  the  Sacred  Heart  and  offer 

-**  to  that  Heart  all  its  sorrow,  Jesus  will  shower 
on  the  soul  wonderful  graces;  He  will  receive  its  tears, 
uniting  them  with  His  own,  thus  giving  them  an  infinite 
value.  He  will  also  confide  such  a  soul  to  the  love  by 
which  He  was  guided  during  the  days  of  His  mortal 
life,  and  this  love  will  be  more  its  servant  than  its  master. 
He  confided  Mechtilde  to  this  love  one  day,  so  that  it 
might  care  for  her  and  serve  her  during  her  illness. 

Love  serves  the  souls  confided  to  its  care  in  three  ways: 
First  it  undertakes  with  great  fidelity  the  matters  confided 
to  it.  It  also  guards  carefully  in  the  casket  of  the  divine 
Heart  all  committed  to  its  care,  and  remits  it  faithfully 
increased  and  ennobled  to  the  soul  when  it  leaves  this 
world.  It  also  helps  man  in  labours  and  troubles,  assists  in 
good  and  defends  him  in  evil. 

But  our  Lord,  though  He  had  given  Mechtilde  into  the 
care  of  love,  would  console  her  Himself.  One  night 
when  she  could  not  sleep,  on  account  of  a  violent  pain  in 
her  head,  she  begged  our  Lord  to  tell  her  where  she  could 
find  a  little  rest.  Our  Lord  showed  her  the  wounds  in 
His  hands  and  feet,  and  told  her  to  choose  in  which  she 
would  rest.  As  she  refused  to  make  this  choice  herself, 
Jesus  showed  her  the  wound  in  His  side  and  said  to  her: 
"  You  must  enter  here  to  rest."  And  at  once  she 
entered  with  joy  into  the  divine  Heart,  and  found  sweet 
repose. 

$8 


JOT  IN  SUFFERING  99 

Though  Mechtilde  suffered  violent  pain  she  was  filled 
with  joy.  "  My  soul,"  she  says,  "  is  full  of  divine  sweet 
ness  and  floats  in  the  divinity  as  a  fish  in  water  or  a  bird 
in  the  air.  Union  between  God  and  the  Saints,  and  that 
between  God  and  my  soul  have  only  this  difference :  they 
rejoice  in  the  fulness  of  their  joy,  and  I  in  suffering." 
The  favours  showered  upon  her  during  her  severe  illnesses 
astonished  even  the  Saints  in  heaven. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

THE  SACRED  HEART  AT  ST.  MECHTILDFS 
DEATH 

SUFFERING  ends  in  death.  Will  the  Sacred 
Heart  which  was  with  us  in  our  tears  remain  with 
us  in  our  agony,  until  our  last  sigh  ? 

Yes;  Jesus  has  promised  all  His  devoted  servants  that 
He  will  be  their  support  at  that  dread  moment.  He  has 
deigned  to  give  us  a  special  pledge  of  this  promise  in  the 
visible  protection  accorded  to  His  Apostles  in  their  last 
hour.  All  received  the  grace  of  a  glorious  death,  not  only 
before  God,  but  also  before  men.  They  all  prepared 
with  the  same  care,  with  the  same  confidence  in  their 
Judge,  and  with  the  same  peace  in  the  last  moments 
before  their  sacrifice.  It  was  the  same  with  St.  Mechtilde, 

This  humble  and  devoted  servant  of  Jesus  Christ  had 
spent  over  fifty-seven  years  of  her  life  in  the  Religious 
state;  at  the  end  she  suffered  continual  pain  for  about 
three  years,  which  ended  in  death.  About  a  month 
before  this  happened,  she  went,  as  was  her  custom, 
through  the  exercise  of  preparation  for  death,  composed 
by  St.  Gertrude. 

On  the  twenty-second  Sunday  after  Pentecost  of  the 
year  1298  she  received  Holy  Communion  for  the  last 
time.  She  then  recommended  her  last  hour  to  the 
mercy  of  God.  Jesus,  standing  before  her,  said  very 
tenderly:  "  Honour  and  joy  of  My  divinity,  delight  and 
rest  of  My  Spirit,  wilt  thou  come  now  and  remain  for 
ever  with  Me,  fulfilling  My  desire  and  thine  ?"  She 
replied:  "  My  Lord  God,  I  desire  Thy  glory  more  than 
my  happiness.  I  beg  of  Thee,  therefore,  to  allow  me  to 


THE  SACRED  HEART  AT  DEATH    101 

expiate  by  suffering  all  that,  as  Thy  creature,  I  have 
neglected  in  the  praise  I  owed  Thee." 

Our  Lord  received  this  reply  very  graciously,  and  said: 
"  As  thou  hast  chosen  this,  it  is  another  mark  of  likeness 
to  Me,  for  I  accepted  and  voluntarily  suffered  the  anguish 
of  the  Cross  and  of  death  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
salvation  of  the  world.  And,  as  My  sufferings  penetrated 
and  moved  the  Heart  of  My  Father,  so  thy  sufferings 
and  death  shall  penetrate  into  My  Heart  and  contribute 
to  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world." 

Mechtilde's  Sisters  suffered  at  witnessing  her  terrible 
pain,  and  also  at  the  thought  of  the  approaching  separa 
tion:  "  Weep  not  and  do  not  be  sad  on  my  account,  my 
well-beloved,"  she  said  to  them.  "  I  share  in  your  sorrow, 
and  if  it  were  the  will  of  our  sweetest  Spouse  who  loves 
us,  I  would  live  always  in  these  pains  and  so  always  be 
able  to  console  you." 

What  admirable  dispositions  !  Like  St.  Martin,  the 
humble  Benedictine  is  ready  to  live,  to  suffer,  to  die;  but 
she  willed  above  all  the  holy  will  of  God,  and  that  adorable 
will  had  decreed  the  end  of  her  exile.  Our  Blessed  Lord 
warned  her  of  it,  saying  with  much  tenderness:  "  Come, 
My  elect,  My  dove,  My  flowering  field,  where  I  have 
found  all  I  wished  for,  My  garden  full  of  beauty  where  I 
have  tasted  all  the  joys  of  My  divine  Heart;  there  flourish 
all  virtues, 'there  grow  the  trees  of  good  works,  there  flow 
the  waters  of  devotion  and  fervour;  it  was  always  open 
for  Me  to  find  what  I  wanted.  I  loved  to  retire  to  this 
garden  when  sinners  irritated  Me;  in  drinking  of  its 
waters  I  was  so  inebriated  as  to  forget  the  insults  offered 
Me." 

On  the  evening  of  this  Sunday  Gertrude  was  praying 
for  her  friend,  and  received  from  our  Lord  the  mission 
to  warn  her  to  prepare  for  Extreme  Unction.  She  told 
her  from  Him  that  after  the  reception  of  this  salutary 
Sacrament,  our  Lord,  who  watches  with  so  much  care 


102  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

over  His  friends,  would  hide  her  in  His  pure  and  spotless 
Heart — in  the  same  way,  she  added,  as  a  painter  takes 
great  care  of  a  picture  newly  painted,  for  fear  it  should 
be  spoiled  by  the  dust. 

Mechtilde  submitted,  but  without  begging  much  for 
the  precious  Sacrament.  On  the  Monday  morning 
before  dawn  she  was  attacked  suddenly  with  such  violent 
pain  that  the  priest  was  brought  in  great  haste  to  give 
her  Extreme  Unction.  During  the  ceremony  Gertrude 
in  ecstasy  saw  our  Lord  turn  on  Mechtilde  a  loving  look, 
full  of  all  the  goodness  and  tenderness  His  divine  Heart 
had  had  for  her,  when  the  priest  anointed  her  eyes.  It 
was  as  though  a  ray  of  divine  light  communicated  to  her 
all  the  merits  of  His  most  holy  eyes.  And  the  eyes  of 
Mechtilde,  under  the  influence  of  this  divine  goodness, 
seemed  to  distil  an  oil  of  infinite  sweetness. 

This  mysterious  fact  made  Gertrude  understand  that 
on  account  of  Mechtilde's  merits  our  Lord  gave  great 
consolation  to  'those  who  invoked  her  with  confidence; 
she  had  deserved  this  privilege,  because  during  her  life 
she  had  from  motives  of  charity  always  shown  herself 
kind  and  considerate  to  everyone.  In  the  same  way, 
when  the  Unction  was  applied  to  the  other  parts  of  her 
body,  our  Lord  gave  to  each  the  perfect  merits  of  the 
corresponding  sense  of  His  own  body. 

The  dying  servant  of  God  spoke  also  very  lovingly  to 
the  Holy  Virgin  our  Mother,  recommending  to  her  the 
companions  whom  she  was  about  to  leave,  begging  of  her 
for  love  of  her  to  show  them  greater  affection.  The 
Immaculate  Virgin  deigned  to  show  she  granted  this 
request  by  laying  her  delicate  hands  on  those  of 
Mechtilde. 

During  her  lengthened  agony,  Mechtilde  said  no  other 
words  than:  "  Good  Jesus  !  Good  Jesus  !"  showing  that 
she  had  in  her  heart  Him  whose  name,  amidst  the  bitter 
agony  of  death,  came  continually  to  her  lips  with  so  much 


'THE  SACRED  HEART  AT  DEATH        103 

sweetness.  And  all  there  recommended  themselves  to 
her  prayers,  confiding  to  her  their  concerns  and  those  of 
others  they  loved.  Mechtilde  could  only  reply,  very 
faintly:  "  Willingly  "  or  "  Yes."  In  this  way  she  proved 
with  what  affection  she  would  intercede  with  our  Lord 
to  grant  all  their  petitions. 

The  longed-for  hour  came  at  last.  Stripped  of  all  that 
was  earthly,  perfectly  resigned  to  the  Will  of  her  Beloved, 
this  loving  spouse  was  to  leave  the  prison  of  the  flesh  to 
enter  the  nuptial  chamber  of  her  royal  Bridegroom. 

It  was  the  hour  for  the  community  to  rise,  and  the 
Mother  Superior  was  the  first,  with  a  few  others,  at 
Mechtilde's  side,  when  quite  suddenly  her  face  changed 
and  assumed  a  look  of  exquisite  tenderness,  coming  from 
an  interior  feeling  of  great  love.  One  would  have  thought 
that  by  her  signs  and  happy  looks,  as  she  was  now  unable 
to  do  so  in  words,  she  was  inviting  her  dearly-loved  Sisters 
to  congratulate  her  on  the  ineffable  gifts  our  Lord  had 
bestowed  on  her.  Then  the  God  of  majesty,  the  God  of 
pure  delights,  the  only  One  who  can  satisfy  the  loving 
soul,  enclosed  His  spouse  in  the  light  of  the  divinity,  and 
penetrated  her  entirely  with  it.  He,  the  Chanter  of 
chanters,  with  the  sweetest  voice  intoned  a  song  which 
surpassed  all  earthly  melodies.  In  this  moment  He  repaid 
this  soul,  which  like  a  nightingale  had  so  often  on  the 
earth  charmed  His  divine  Heart,  less  by  the  sweetness  of 
her  voice  than  by  the  fervour  of  her  devotion.  He 
therefore  sang  to  her  these  words:  "  Come,  thou  blessed 
of  My  Father,  receive  the  kingdom  prepared  for  thee. 
Arise,  My  love,  and  come  without  delay."  He  reminded 
her  of 'the  great  grace  granted  her  nine  years  previously, 
when  He  had  given  her  His  Heart  as  a  pledge  of  His  love 
and  protection. 

As  soon  as  she  had  rendered  her  last  sigh  in  the  Heart 
of  her  Beloved,  Gertrude  saw  her  in  glory,  resting,  full 
of  joy,  on  the  breast  of  Jesus.  The  Angels  and  Saints 


104     ?HE  LOFE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

came  to  salute  her,  less  as  an  equal  than  as  a  queen. 
St.  Gertrude  begged  her  to  pray  that  the  defects  of  those 
on  earth  for  whom  she  had  always  shown  so  much  affec 
tion  might  be  cured.  Mechtilde  replied:  "I  see  very 
clearly  in  the  light  of  truth,  that  all  the  affection  I  have 
ever  felt  for  anyone  on  earth  is  smaller  than  a  drop  of 
water  is  to  the  ocean,  compared  with  the  tender  affection 
which  fills  the  divine  Heart  towards  those  I  loved.  I  also 
see,  in  a  manner  incomprehensible  to  you,  how  good 
are  the  designs  of  Providence:  in  that  God  leaves  man 
certain  defects  which  give  him  cause  for  humbling  himself 
and  for  making  efforts,  so  making  each  day  progress  in 
the  way  of  salvation.  And  so  I  could  not  have  the  thought 
of  any  will  other  than  that  of  the  almighty  wisdom  and 
tender  goodness  of  my  sweet  and  loving  Lord,  in  which 
He  has  desired  for  each  one  according  to  His  good 
pleasure.  All  I  can  do,  in  considering  the  admirable 
ways  of  the  divine  goodness,  is  to  spend  myself  in  praise 
and  thanksgiving." 

This  reply  was  for  St.  Gertrude  a  consolation  and  en 
couragement.  A  consolation:  she  was  immeasurably 
loved  by  the  Sacred  Heart.  An  encouragement :  she  must 
bear  her  defects  and  combat  lovingly  to  the  end. 

The  day  following  at  the  first  Mass,  which  was  a 
Requiem  Mass,  the  elect  of  God  appeared  to  her;  she 
seemed  drawing  from  the  Heart  of  our  Lord  with  golden 
tubes.  In  this  way  those  who  had  a  special  devotion 
to  her  drew  from  the  divine  Heart  all  they  desired.  They 
seemed  to  be  saying  these  or  similar  words :  "  By  the  love 
which  made  Thee  grant  so  many  favours  to  Thy  beloved 
Mechtilde,  or  to  any  other  Saint,  and  by  Thy  will  to 
grant  grace  to  whomsoever  it  may  be  on  earth  or  in 
heaven;  hear  me,  sweet  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  her  merits 
and  those  of  Thy  elect." 

During  the  Mass  which  followed  that  of  the  burial, 
Mechtilde  appeared  as  one  settled  in  the  divine  Heart, 


THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  DEATH   105 

using  this  Heart  as  a  lyre  of  which  she  touched  four 
strings,  making  a  delicious  melody  in  several  parts,  melody 
of  praise,  thanksgiving,  loving  complaint  and  prayer. 

The  last  vision  with  which  St.  Gertrude  was  favoured 
about  her  holy  friend  resumed  all  her  teaching:  zeal  for 
the  divine  praise  and  love  for  the  Sacred  Heart.  Mech- 
tilde  always  appeared  to  be  resting  in  the  Heart  of  Christ, 
and  she  left  it  to  come  and  meet  Gertrude,  showing 
herself  to  be  in  the  brightness  of  glory,  clothed  with  a 
dazzling  garment  that  seemed  covered  with  diamonds, 
some  shining  like  stars  and  others  clear  as  a  mirror. 
Gertrude  asked  what  more  she  desired  from  her  Order. 
"  Above  all,"  she  said,  "  I  desire  the  praise  of  my  Lord. 
You  could  do  nothing  that  would  give  me  greater  happi 
ness  than  to  praise  Him  unceasingly.  He  has  placed  me 
among  His  Saints  who  please  Him  most  by  praising  Him 
best." 

Gertrude  replied :  "  How  are  we  to  praise  God  in  you  ?" 
Mechtilde  replied:  "Perform  all  your  actions  with  the 
same  purity  of  intention  and  perfect  love  that  I  always 
had  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls.  Do 
this  when  you  enter  the  choir  to  pray  or  to  sing.  Do  the 
same  when  you  go  to  sleep  or  take  your  meals,  and  the 
same  for  everything  else.  Do  all  your  actions  for  me,  to 
the  praise  of  my  Beloved,  and  in  that  you  will  find  your 
salvation." 

Gertrude  continued:  "What  do  you  gain  for  the 
praises  we  offer  to  God  for  you?"  She  replied:  "A 
special  embrace  which  renews  all  my  joy  and  happiness." 
And  Gertrude  saw  three  rays  of  light  which  came  from 
the  divine  Heart  and  illuminated  Mechtilde  and  all  the 
Saints.  These  turning  to  our  Lord  sang:  "We  praise 
Thee  for  the  everlasting  beauty  of  Thy  spouse,  for  the 
delight  Thou  takest  in  her,  and  for  the  perfect  union 
which  makes  her  one  with  Thee." 

Gertrude,  seeing  that  our  Lord  took  pleasure  in  these 


io6     THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

praises,  said  to  Him:  "Why,  O  Lord,  dost  Thou  take 
so  great  a  pleasure  in  being  praised  in  this  soul?"  He 
answered:  "Because  while  living  she  desired  above  all 
things  to  see  Me  praised.  She  has  kept  this  desire,  and 
I  come  to  satisfy  her  with  My  ceaseless  praise  (et  hanc 
incessabili  laude  mea  cupio  satiare)." 

On  the  feast  of  St.  Catherine,  Mechtilde  came  to  the 
choir  with  our  Lord,  as  if  to  direct  the  singing  according 
to  custom.  And  as  St.  Gertrude  was  astonished  and 
said  to  her:  "  Is  there  anything  you  would  like  to  ask  of 
your  sisters?"  she  replied:  "Rejoice  ardently  together 
in  your  Beloved;  His  love  surrounds  you  with  as  much 
tenderness  and  affection  as  that  of  a  mother  with  her 
only  child.  She  would  always  wish  it  to  be  resting  on 
her  breast.  He  also  protects  you  against  all  that  might 
prove  harmful.  God,  who  loves  you  so  much,  wishes  you 
always  to  remain  attached  to  Him,  and  never  to  forsake 
Him.  If  you  leave  Him,  He  will  send  sorrows  so  that 
you  may  return  to  Him;  so  does  a  faithful  mother  act. 
She  chastises  her  child  if  it  leave  her  and  fall,  to  teach  it 
not  to  leave  her.  In  the  same  way  a  mother  finds  great 
joy  in  the  tender,  loving  words  of  her  child,  so  does  your 
Spouse  desire  of  you.  Therefore  give  Him  your  hearts, 
since  He  is  Father,  Lord  and  Spouse  and  Friend  and  all 
in  all  to  you." 

The  last  words  Gertrude  understood  by  a  divine  inspira 
tion;  since  He  is  our  Father,  we  ought  to  go  to  Him  for 
all  we  need;  since  He  is  our  Lord,  we  must  place  in  Him 
all  our  hope;  since  He  is  our  Spouse,  we  must  love  Him 
with  all  our  heart  and  soul;  and  since  He  is  our  Friend, 
we  must  tell  Him  with  great  confidence  all  our  pains  and 
necessities  and  look  for  consolation  from  Him  only. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
THE    SACRED    HEART   AND    PURGATORT 

THE  Sacred  Heart  does  not  abandon  the  souls  that 
have  during  their  lives  been  devout  to  it,  even 
amidst  the  flames  of  purgatory.  He  Himself  begs 
for  suffrages  and  prayers  for  them.  In  the  resurrection 
of  Lazarus  He  rewarded  the  faith  and  confidence  of  the 
two  sisters.  With  what  delicate  skill  did  our  Lord  lead 
Martha  and  Mary  to  believe  in  His  power  and  goodness. 
And  when  they  said:  "  I  have  believed  that  Thou  art 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  who  art  come  into  this 
world,"  He  went  at  once  and  called  Lazarus  from  corrup 
tion:  "Lazarus,  come  forth." 

Mechtilde  fulfilled  this  role  during  her  lifetime.  The 
soul  of  a  Brother  had  been  recommended  to  her  prayers. 
She  did  not  trouble  to  remember  him.  She  received  a 
direct  inspiration  from  heaven,  and  yet  did  not  obey. 
Our  Lord  spoke  severely  to  her:  "  So  thou  wilt  not  allow 
Me  to  satisfy  for  My  friend  by  thee."  Then  taking  her 
by  the  hand,  He  said:  "  Come,  and  I  will  introduce  thee 
into  the  admirable  tabernacle  of  My  house."  She  was 
ravished  into  heaven,  and  there  the  soul  of  this  brother 
appeared  to  her,  standing  before  our  Lord,  adorned  by 
five  rays  which  came  from  the  divine  Heart. 

The  first  ray  entered  his  eyes.  It  signified  the  know 
ledge  which  had  adorned  nis  life,  and  which  led  him 
ceaselessly  to  contemplate  God  in  the  glory  of  the  divinity. 
The  second  ray  entered  his  ears.  It  signified  the  joy  with 
which  he  received  the  words  and  tender  greetings  which 
were  ceaselessly  spoken  to  him  by  God.  The  third  ray 
entered  his  mouth,  to  signify  the  ineffable  praise  of  God 

107 


ro8  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

which  never  ceased  coming  from  his  mouth.  The  fourth 
ray  filled  his  heart.  It  signified  the  marvellous  sweetness, 
joy  and  delight  with  which  heavenly  favours  filled  him. 
The  fifth  ray  inundated  and  illuminated  his  body  with 
ineffable  brightness,  showing  that  in  all  his  members  and 
with  all  his  strength  he  had  been  devoted  to  good  works 
and  to  the  practice  of  virtue. 

Then  Mechtilde,  filled  with  admiration,  said  to  our 
Lord:  "My  sweetest  Lord,  why  hast  Thou  taken  this 
soul  so  soon  out  of  the  world,  where  his  words  and  example 
might  have  done  good  to  so  many  ?"  Our  Lord  replied: 
"  His  ardent  desire  constrained  Me.  As  a  child  separated 
from  his  mother's  breast,  he  was  drawn  to  Me;  so  he 
deserved  to  come  so  soon  and  rest  in  Me.  He  had 
worked  so  hard  and  would  receive  so  great  glory  that  his 
admission  had  to  be  a  little  delayed.  During  this  time 
I  made  him  rest  on  My  Heart."  She  asked:  "  O  loving 
Lord,  how  long  did  he  rest  thus  ?"  "  Just  one  morning," 
answered  our  Lord,  "  during  which  love  accomplished 
in  him  what  it  had  designed  for  him  from  all  eternity." 

How  consoling  !  Purgatory  might  be  passed  in  the 
Heart  of  Jesus  if  only  we  were  as  much  attached  to  Him 
as  a  child  to  its  mother's  breast.  From  the  Sacred  Heart 
come  the  rays  that  purify  souls  and  prepare  them  for  the 
glory  of  heaven.  From  the  Sacred  Heart  come  the 
inspirations  to  help  the  faithful  departed.  But  all  souls 
do  not  spend  their  purgatory  on  the  breast  of  Jesus. 

Mechtilde  was  allowed  one  day  to  witness  the  torments 
by  which  some  unhappy  souls  were  purified,  each  suffering 
according  to  the  faults  it  had  committed.  But  the 
greatest  suffering  was  the  privation  of  the  sight  of  God. 
"Do  you  suffer  pain?"  she  inquired  of  a  young  man 
recently  deceased.  "  No,"  he  replied,  "  except  that  I 
do  not  yet  see  my  loving  Lord.  So  great  is  my  desire 
to  do  so  that  the  united  desires  of  all  men  would  seem 
nothing  in  comparison." 


'THE  SACRED  HEAR?  AND  PURGATORY     109 

The  want  of  God  is  therefore  the  greatest  torment  of 
these  souls.  So  Mechtilde  made  every  effort  to  enable 
them  to  enter  into  the  presenqe  of  this  God  so  ardently 
longed  for.  It  had  been  said  to  her:  "  The  prayer  of  a 
pure  soul,  offered  to  God  with  love,  flows  into  the  divine 
Heart  as  very  limpid  water,  and  is  very  efficacious." 

Our  Lord  said  to  her  one  day  after  Holy  Communion : 
"  Say  the  Our  Father  for  the  dead  in  union  with  the 
intention  My  heart  had  in  teaching  it  to  men."  By  these 
words  she  was  enlightened  to  know  that  the  Pater  ought 
to  be  recited  with  the  following  intentions :  At  the  first 
words,  Pater  noster  qui  es  in  caeHs,  we  ought  to  ask  pardon 
for  souls  who  have  committed  faults  against  a  Father 
so  adorable  and  loving,  who  by  pure  goodness  has  raised 
men  to  the  great  honour  of  being  the  sons  of  God — 

(1)  in  not  loving  Him  with  sufficient  respect;  (2)  in  not 
giving  Him  the  honour  due  to  Him;  (3)  in  driving  Him 
from  their  hearts  where  He  wishes  to  reign  as  in  heaven. 
Christians  then  pray  in  union  with  their  innocent  Brother, 
Jesus  Christ,  who  offered  for  these  souls  His  penances, 
full  of  love  and  satisfaction.     Through  Him  the  Father 
receives  in  reparation  for  these  sins  the  love  of  His  Heart 
offered  in  His  human  nature  with  so  great  honour  and 
reverence. 

Sanctificetur  nomen  tuum,  "  Hallowed  be  Thy  Name," 
to  repair  and  supply — (i)  what  was  wanting  in  their 
reverence  for  the  Name  of  God  and  so  great  a  Father; 

(2)  the  fault  of  having  taken  this  Name  in  vain,  or  of 
having  thought  so  seldom  of  it;  (3)  the  fault  of  having 
shown  themselves  by  their  evil  lives  unworthy  of  this 
holy  'Name,   though   they   are   called   Christians.     The 
heavenly  Father  is  then  begged   to  accept  the  perfect 
sanctity  of  His  Son,  who  magnified  His  holy  Name  in 
His  preaching  and  glorified  Him  in  all  the  works  of  His 
holy  humanity. 

Adveniat  regnum  tuum — "Thy  kingdom  come."     Here 


no  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

forgiveness  is  asked  for  souls — (i)  who  have  never  desired 
enough  the  kingdom  of  God  or  God  Himself,  in  whom 
alone  is  true  rest  and  eternal  joy;  (2)  for  those  who  have 
never  sought  it  diligently.  The  heavenly  Father  is 
petitioned  to  receive  the  very  holy  desires  of  His  loving 
Son  to  have  them  for  heirs  to  His  kingdom  in  reparation 
for  the  coldness  these  souls  have  shown  for  all  that  is  good. 

Fiat  voluntas  tua  sicut  in  ccelo  et  in  terra,  "  Thy  will  be 
done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  We  should  say  these 
words  to  repair  their  faults — (i)  of  not  having  preferred 
God's  will  to  their  own ;  (2)  for  not  having  loved  it  in  all 
things.  We  must  beg  our  heavenly  Father  to  accept, 
in  reparation  for  their  disobedience,  the  union  of  the  very 
holy  Heart  of  His  Son  with  His  very  perfect  obedience, 
for  He  became  obedient  unto  death.  Mechtilde  under 
stood  from  these  words,  "  Thy  will  be  done,"  that  religious 
persons  often  sinned — (i)  in  very  rarely  offering  to  God 
their  whole  will;  (2)  in  often  drawing  it  back,  and  that  it 
was  very  necessary,  at  these  words,  to  make  mention  of 
them,  as  many  were  kept  separated  from  God  after  death 
through  this  negligence. 

Panem  nostrum  quotidianum  da  nobis  hodie — "  Give  us 
this  day  our  daily  bread."  The  faults  to  be  repaired  are — 
(i)  not  having  received  with  sufficient  desire,  devotion, 
and  love  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  so  great  and  so  necessary 
for  them;  (2)  that  many  have  rendered  themselves  un 
worthy  to  receive  it;  (3)  that  some  have  rarely  or  never 
received  it.  We  should  beg  our  heavenly  Father  to  regard 
the  ardent  love,  ineifable  desires,  perfect  sanctity  and 
devotedness  with  which  Jesus  Christ  gave  us  this  magnifi 
cent  and  perfect  gift. 

Et  dimitte  nobis  debita  nostra — "  And  forgive  us  our 
trespasses  as  we  forgive  them  that  trespass  against  us." 
At  these  words  we  should  ask  forgiveness — (i)  for  all  sins 
committed,  mortal  sins  and  those  caused  by  them;  (2)  for 
the  many  who  have  been  unwilling  to  forgive  offences 


THE  SACRED  HE  AM  AND  PURGATORT    in 

.committed  against  themselves;  (3)  for  those  who  have 
not  loved  their  enemies.  We  ought  to  beg  Almighty  God 
in  reparation  for  these  faults  to  accept  the  prayer,  full 
of  chanty,  with  which  His  Son  prayed  for  His  enemies. 

Et  ne  nos  inducas  in  tentationem — "  And  lead  us  not  into 
temptation."  The  real  evil  for  these  souls  is  that  they 
did  not  resist  their  vices  and  concupiscences,  but  were  so 
often  led  by  the  devil  and  their  own  evil  inclinations, 
throwing  themselves  wilfully  into  all  kinds  of  evil.  We 
pray  our  heavenly  Father  to  accept  in  atonement  and 
reparation  for  these  faults  the  glorious  victory  won  by 
Christ  over  the  devil  and  the  world  during  His  most 
holy  life,  in  His  labours  and  different  sufferings.  We 
finish  by  supplicating  Him  to  deliver  them  from  all 
evils,  and  conduct  them  to  the  kingdom  of  glory,  which 
is  Himself.  Amen. 

When  Mechtilde  had  finished  this  prayer  she  saw  an 
immense  number  of  souls,  full  of  joy,  giving  thanks  for 
their  deliverance.  This  was  no  doubt  owing  to  the  merits 
and  fervour  of  the  holy  spouse  of  the  Sacred  Heart; 
but  even  of  itself  this  prayer  is  most  efficacious,  for  by  it 
we  offer  the  infinite  merits  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  It  is 
our  duty  to  pray  often  to  God,  through  the  divine  Heart, 
on  behalf  of  the  souls  kept  by  the  justice  of  God  in  the 
expiatory  flames. 

On  All  Souls'  Day  our  Lord  appeared  to  Mechtilde  in  all 
the  brightness  of  His  beauty,  bearing  three  precious  jewels 
on  His  breast.  The  first  signified  the  eternal  desire  with 
which  God  is  always  filled  for  souls.  The  second,  the 
insatiable  love  of  His  divine  Heart  for  man,  for  even 
though  man  remain  cold  and  insensible,  the  love  of  the 
divine  Heart  is  unchangeable,  and  burns  for  him.  The 
third  jewel  signified  the  joys  of  the  divine  Heart  of  which 
the  Scripture  speaks :  "  My  delights  are  to  be  with  the 
children  of  men." 

He  then  allowed  her  to  see  the  souls  of  the  dead  on  this 


ii2   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEAR? 

day  consecrated  to  their  remembrance.  Approaching, 
He  deigned  to  serve  them  Himself.  Every  word  said 
in  choir,  in  the  lessons,  all  that  the  whole  Church  does  for 
these  souls  seemed  different  kinds  of  food  and  drink  which 
He  gave  them  Himself.  The  souls  were  filled  with  great 
joy,  but  in  their  hearts  there  was  a  cruel  executioner,  the 
sting  of  conscience.  Hie  erat  propria  conscientia. 

And  this  worm  tore  and  tormented  them  ceaselessly. 
This  worm  never  dies  in  purgatory,  and  the  soul  is  only 
liberated  from  it  when  it  enters  into  the  joy  of  its  Lord 
and  is  united  to  God  eternally.  Then  the  soul  hears 
this  loving  invitation:  "  From  the  depths  of  My  Heart 
drink  joy,  and  that  because  of  those  who  pray  for  thee  " 
(Elbe  de  medulla  Cordis  mei  gaudium  ex  part?  omnium  pro 
te  orantium).  May  we  induce  Jesus  to  say  these  sweet 
words  to  our  dear  dead,  and  may  we  hear  them  ourselves 
very  soon  after  our  last  sigh. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 
THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  HEAVEN 

WHEN  the  soul  of  the  just  leaves  the  body,  if  it 
is  so  entirely  exempt  from  all  sin  that  it  may  at 
once  enter  heaven,  God  penetrates  this  happy 
soul  with  His  divine  Spirit,  fills  and  possesses  all  its  senses 
to  such  a  point  that  He  is  the  eye  by  which  the  soul  sees, 
the  light  through  which  it  sees,  and  the  beauty  which  it 
perceives.     So,  in  a  manner  as  inexpressible  as  delightful, 
God,  in  the  soul,  and  with  the  soul,  contemplates  Himself, 
the  soul  and  all  the  Saints. 

He  is  also  the  hearing  of  the  soul,  to  listen  to  the  sweet 
words  which  He  speaks  with  more  than  motherly  love, 
to  hear  also  the  harmony  of  God  with  all  the  Saints. 
Through  Him  the  soul  also  breathes  the  life-giving  and 
divine  breath  coming  from  God,  the  sweetness  of  which 
surpasses  all  perfumes  and  vivifies  the  soul  for  eternity. 
He  is  also  the  taste  of  the  soul  and  causes  it  to  relish 
His  sweet  savour.  God  is  also  the  tongue  and  voice  of 
the  soul,  with  which  He  celebrates,  in  the  soul  and  for 
the  soul,  His  praises  in  the  most  complete  and  elevated 
manner  possible.  He  is  the  heart  of  the  soul,  charming 
and  rejoicing  it,  Himself  revelling  in  it  and  with  it  and 
filling  it  with  ravishing  delight.  Furthermore,  God  is 
the  life  of  the  soul  and  the  motive-power  of  all  its  parts, 
so  that  all  its  acts  seem  done  by  God,  and  in  the  Saints 
St.  Paul's  words  are  fulfilled:  "  That  God  may  be  all  in 
all  "  (2  Cor.  xv.  28). 

Has  the  intimate  union  of  God  with  His  elect  ever  been 
better  expressed  ?     We  have  already  seen  how  Mechtilde, 
at  the  moment  of  her  death,  was  admitted  to  a  mysterious 
113  8 


u4  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

union  with  the  Sacred  Heart.  If  this  privilege  is  not 
granted  to  all  the  Saints,  it  is  at  least  granted  to  those 
who  have  loved  the  Sacred  Heart.  When  Mechtilde's 
Sister,  the  Abbess  Gertrude,  died  she  took  her  flight  into 
the  marvellous  and  divine  Sanctuary  of  the  Heart  of 
Jesus  opened  to  her  with  such  joy  and  fidelity.  What 
she  saw,  what  she  heard,  what  she  felt,  what  she  received 
of  blessedness,  from  the  overflowing  tenderness  of  Jesus, 
in  being  transported  by  a  special  privilege  to  such  a 
resting-place,  who  among  men  could  imagine  ? 

With  what  exquisite  tenderness  does  her  Eternal 
Spouse  draw  her  to  Himself !  The  daughters  of  the 
happy  Abbess  on  earth  joined  in  her  bliss  by  singing  Qu& 
pausas  sub  umbra  Dilecti — "  Thou  who  dost  rest  under 
the  shadow  of  thy  Beloved. "  And  they  could  hear  her 
reply:  "  It  is  not  enough  for  me  to  rest  in  His  shadow, 
it  is  in  the  very  Heart  of  my  Beloved  that  I  rest  lovingly, 
sweetly,  and  securely."  "  Then,"  said  they,  "  speak  for 
us  all  to  God,  since  you  are  so  full  of  bliss."  "  I  beg  for 
my  daughters,  that  they  too  may  enjoy  the  rest  full  of 
sweetness  which  I  so  securely  enjoy  in  the  dear  Heart  of 
our  loving  Jesus." 

Behold,  therefore,  a  soul  in  heaven  who  declares  that 
it  is  not  enough  for  her  to  rest  in  our  Divine  Lord's 
shadow !  She  must  be  hidden  in  His  Heart.  May 
infinite  thanks  be  rendered  for  ever  to  our  dear  Saviour 
for  having  satisfied  this  ardent  desire.  He  has  willed  to 
prepare  for  His  elect  a  dwelling  in  the  depths  of  His 
paternal  Heart.  There,  throughout  all  eternity,  they 
will  see  how  they  have  been  loved  and  gratuitously 
chosen  for  so  great  a  happiness.  Here  below  no  one  can 
open  the  heart  of  his  friend  and  see  there  the  feelings  he 
entertains  for  him;  but  the  elect  enter  into  the  most 
intimate  secrets  of  the  Sacred  Heart;  they  see  and  taste, 
with  ineffable  joy,  the  fulness  and  charm  of  infinite  love. 


CHAPTER  XL 

OUR  DUTT  TOWARDS  THE  SACRED  HEART: 
DEMOTION  TO  THE  SACRED  HEART 

IN  her  conversations  with  her  two  friends  Mechtilde 
spoke  from  the  fulness  of  her  heart,  but  she  had 
never  dreamed  of  writing  a  book.  Therefore  a 
methodical  manner  of  writing  need  not  be  expected  in 
her  teaching,  such  as  one  would  desire  in  a  treatise  on  the 
Sacred  Heart, 

What  one  can  appreciate  in  the  Book  of  Special  Grace 
is  the  depth  and  elevation  of  the  doctrine  taught,  the 
manifestation  of  the  feelings  which  filled  the  Sacred  Heart 
during  the  different  epochs  of  its  life,  the  account  of  its 
dealings  with  the  Father  and  with  each  one  of  us  in  the 
exercise  of  its  mediatorial  office.  In  no  other  place  are 
these  admirable  secrets  recounted  with  so  much  exact 
ness  and  magnificence.  Even  St.  Gertrude  never  de 
scribed  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  during  His  mortal 
life  as  St.  Mechtilde  has  done.  Saint  Margaret  Mary 
depicted  it  on  one  occasion  only — i.e.,  in  the  Agony  in 
the  garden  at  Gethsemani. 

The  knowledge  of  the  Sacred  Heart  is  a  great  grace, 
but  it  would  be  useless  and  even  become  a  motive  of  con 
demnation,  if  it  did  not  produce  the  desired  fruit,  that 
of  the  love  and  entire  gift  of  our  heart.  To  know  without 
wishing  tolove  is  to  approach  hell;  to  know,  and  to  strive 
to  love,  is  to  approach  heaven. 

Mechtilde  was  very  near  the  abode  of  the  Blessed,  for 
she  loved  the  Sacred  Heart  with  a  love  her  companions 
called  excessive  (nimia).  No  doubt  our  Blessed  Lord 
constantly  fed  the  flame  of  divine  love  in  her  heart,  for 


Ii6  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART: 

each  time  He  appeared  He  opened  His  Heart  and  gave  her 
some  special  grace.  And,  after  all,  had  she  not  within 
her  the  furnace  of  divine  love  ?  The  Sacred  Heart  had 
given  itself  to  her,  and  she  carried  it  always  in  her  own 
heart. 

The  holy  Benedictine  may  therefore  be  our  model  in  a 
true  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart.  But  does  the  Book 
of  Special  Grace,  which  reveals  to  us  the  prerogatives  of 
the  divine  Heart,  betray  also  the  secrets  of  Mechtilde's 
intercourse  with  it  ?  Are  the  acts  of  devotion  practised 
in  the  thirteenth  century  in  any  way  the  same  as  those 
taught  by  St.  Margaret  Mary  ?  Are  the  marks  of  devo 
tion  of  the  Virgin  of  Helfta  the  same  as  those  of  the 
Virgin  of  Paray-le-Monial  ? 

We  must  acknowledge  that  St.  Mechtilde's  book  is  a 
real  treasure,  and  Providence  has  amply  justified  the 
second  title  given  to  it  by  our  Lord,  who  called  it  The 
Light  of  the  Church.  In  reality  it  exacts  from  the  soul 
devoted  to  the  Sacred  Heart  all  the  acts  of  the  modern 
devotion:  adoration,  return  of  love,  outpouring  of  heart, 
gratitude,  boundless  confidence,  even  reparation  for  the 
outrages  of  which  it  is  the  victim. 

The  devotion  taught  by  St.  Mechtilde  to  her  two 
companions  has  also  another  characteristic,  that  of 
absorbing  all  religion  and  the  whole  life.  She  did  not 
find  it  enough  to  kiss  the  Sacred  Heart  five  times  a  day, 
as  she  had  been  taught;  she  would  also  offer  to  it  all  her 
actions,  seek  in  it  all  her  supernatural  intentions  and 
through  it  praise  the  divine  majesty  of  God.  She  sought 
it  in  the  Sacraments,  in  the  holy  tribunal  of  penance,  at 
the  Holy  Mass,  and  above  all  in  Holy  Communion.  She 
was  entirely  absorbed  in  the  Sacred  Heart.  She  no  longer 
lived,  the  Sacred  Heart  lived  in  her.  May  we,  like  her, 
be  absorbed  and  transformed  by  this  Heart  so  loving. 


CHAPTER  XLI 
THE  ADORATION  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

TO  praise,  adore  and  glorify  the  Sacred  Heart  is 
an  imperative  need  to  a  soul  who  knows  its  infinite 
perfections.     Her  inability  to  acquit  herself  of 
her  duty  worthily  becomes  an  unspeakable  torment. 

"  If  I  could,"  says  St.  Mechtilde  to  our  Lord,  "  I  would 
bend  all  knees  before  Thee,  my  sweet  and  faithful  Friend 
in  heaven,  on  earth  and  in  hell." 

Our  Lord  replied  with  His  usual  goodness :  "  Ask  Me 
to  accomplish  this  wish  Myself,  for  in  Me  are  all  creatures ; 
and  when  I  come  before  My  Father  to  fulfil  the  office 
of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  I  am  bound  to  supply  perfectly 
for  Myself  and  in  Myself  all  that  is  wanting  in  creatures. 
My  goodness  could  not  suffer  that  the  desire  of  any  faith 
ful  soul,  which  it  could  not  itself  accomplish,  should 
remain  unsatisfied." 

What  a  consolation  for  a  soul  burning  with  zeal  for  the 
Sacred  Heart  !  The  Heart  of  Jesus  accomplishes  itself 
the  soul's  desires  and  supplies  for  its  powerlessness.  And 
that  is  not  all.  One  day  when  Mechtilde  went  to 
honour  her  Well-beloved  with  great  love  He  said  to  her: 
"  When  thou  dost  salute  Me,  I  salute  thee  in  My  turn; 
when  thou  dost  praise  Me,  I  praise  Myself  in  thee;  and 
,when  thou  givest  thanks,  I  also,  in  thee  and  by  thee, 
return  thanks  to  God  the  Father."  She  then  said: 
"  My  Well-beloved,  with  what  salutation  dost  Thou 
address  my  soul?  I  do  not  perceive  it."  He  replied: 
"  My  salutation  is  no  other  than  My  great  love  for  the 
soul.  A  mother  caresses  her  child  on  her  knee,  teaching 
him  to  repeat  the  words  he  must  use  in  saluting  and 
speaking  to  her.  Even  if  the  child  does  not  do  this  of 
himself,  but  only  because  his  mother  has  taught  him, 

117 


ii8  7HE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

she  receives  with  a  mother's  heart  what  he  says,  and 
sometimes  rewards  him  with  her  embrace.  I  also  teach 
the  soul  by  My  inspirations  and  love  to  salute  Me.  When 
it  does  what  it  can  in  its  small  way,  I  accept  that  according 
to  the  greatness  of  My  paternal  affection,  returning  to 
the  soul  its  salutation  and  giving  it  My  grace,  without, 
however,  this  being  perceived  by  the  soul." 

So  when  we  would  glorify  the  Sacred  Heart  it  glorifies 
itself  in  us;  and  it  does  not  value  the  praise  from  our 
lips  for  what  it  is  worth,  but  for  the  immense  love  Jesus 
bears  us  and  for  what  He  adds  thereunto  Himself. 

St.  Mechtilde  was  enabled  to  understand  this  delightful 
mystery.  She  saw  one  day  a  wonderful  harmonious 
instrument  coming  out  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus. 
She  then  leaned  on  the  breast  of  her  Well-beloved,  using 
all  her  strength  to  praise  Him  in  Himself  and  through 
Himself.  The  more  she  praised  Him  thus  united  to  Him, 
the  more  her  strength  failed  her,  and  that  to  annihilation. 
As  wax  melted  before  the  fire,  she  felt  melted  and  merged 
in  God  in  a  blissful  union,  close  and  inseparable.  In 
that  moment  how  she  longed  that  all  in  heaven  and  on 
earth  should  together  participate  in  the  grace  of  God  ! 

If  we  ask  the  Sacred  Heart  with  what  we  are  to  praise 
it,  Jesus  answers,  with  all  He  has  poured  of  praise  into 
the  Heart  of  His  Father,  with  all  He  has  poured  of  love 
into  the  Heart  of  His  Mother,  and  with  all  He  exhibited 
of  heroism  on  the  Cross. 

One  Holy  Saturday  when  she  would  embalm  with  her 
adoration  the  body  of  her  Beloved,  He  said  to  her:  "  Take 
the  ineffable  sweetness  which  eternally  has  flowed  from 
My  divine  Heart  into  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit, 
take  the  sweetness  which  filled  more  than  any  other  heart 
the  virginal  heart  of  My  Mother;  take  the  devotedness 
which,  before  My  Passion,  urged  Me  with  the  greatest 
desire  and  most  ardent  love.  With  these  perfumes  thou 
mayest  embalm  Me  worthily." 


CHAPTER  XLII 
THE  OFFERING  OF  OUR  HEARTS 

I. — How  our  Lord  wants  us  to  give  Him  our  Hearts* 

EBE,  fili  mi,  cor  tuum  mihi — "  My  child,  give 
e  thy  heart."  This  is  all  the  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus  asks  from  men  in  return  for  His  love,  His 
sufferings  and  His  grace. 

Our  Lord  gives  us  His  divine  Heart  in  order  to  receive 
from  us  the  gift  of  our  hearts.  If  we  give  them  with  joy 
and  confidence,  God  will  guard  them  so  powerfully  that 
we  shall  not  fall  into  grievous  sin.  We  should  therefore 
strive  to  increase  our  knowledge  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus, 
and  seek  to  please  Him  more.  In  sadnesss  we  should 
take  refuge  with  confidence  near  this  treasure  which  is 
bestowed  on  us,  and  seek  therein  our  consolation. 

The  offering  of  our  heart  to  Jesus  is  therefore  a  pledge 
of  perseverance,  but  it  is  also  in  itself  one  of  the  greatest 
joys  to  His  Sacred  Heart.  As  the  eagle  always  seeks  in 
its  prey  the  choicest  morsel,  the  heart,  so  our  Lord  always 
seeks  the  heart,  asking  us  to  give  Him  this  choice  morsel. 

Mechtilde,  understanding  this  desire,  could  only  ex 
claim  :  "  O  most  loving  Lord,  with  what  burning  desire 
would  I  wish  to  offer  Thee  my  heart!" 

And  Jesus  at  once  taking  Mechtilde's  heart  into  His 
hands  inhaled  the  odour  as  of  a  sweet-scented  rose.  And 
she  said :  "  What  scent  can  you  find  in  that  which  contains 
no  good  ?"  and  our  Lord  replied:  "  Being  Myself  in  thy 
soul,  it  is  My  sweetness  which  is  breathed  forth  from  thee. 
I  am  the  Creator  of  the  whole  world,  and  have  no  need 
of  any  reward,  but  thou  art  thyself  My  reward,  for  My 

119 


120     THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

heavenly  Father  has  given  thee  to  Me  as  My  spouse  and 
daughter." 

Mechtilde  then  said :  "  Why,  O  loving  Lord,  dost  Thou 
deal  so  with  me  who  have  nothing  of  good  in  me  ?" 

He  replied:  "  Solely  because,  through  my  goodness, 
I  have  placed  in  thee  the  delight  of  My  Heart." 


//. — How  we  should  offer  our  Hearts  to  Jesus. 

It  was  Pentecost  Sunday  and  they  sang  at  the  offertory 
Tibi  afferent  reges  munera — "  Kings  shall  offer  Thee  their 
gifts,"  and  Mechtilde  said  to  our  Lord:  "What  shall 
I  offer  to  Thee,  now,  O  well-beloved  of  my  heart,  for  I 
have  nothing  worthy  of  Thee  ?  Worldly  people  give 
Thee  of  their  goods :  Religious  offer  themselves,  devoting 
themselves  entirely."  Our  Lord  answered:  "Offer  thy 
heart  in  five  different  ways,  and  it  will  be  to  Me  a  very 
agreeable  offering.  In  the  first  place,  offer  it  as  the 
pledge  of  espousals,  with  all  the  fidelity  of  which  it  is 
capable,  and  beg  of  Me  by  the  love  of  My  Heart  to  purify 
it  from  all  the  stains  of  its  unfaithfulness.  Offer  it  also 
as  a  jewel,  and  make  this  offering  as  joyfully  as  if  thou 
didst  enjoy  all  happiness  and  didst  renounce  it  for  Me. 
Offer  it  also  as  a  crown,  adding  to  it  all  the  honour  thou 
mayst  acquire  in  this  world  and  even  in  the  next,  so  as 
to  have  Me  only  for  thy  glory  and  crown.  Offer  it  as  a 
golden  cup,  out  of  which  I  may  drink  My  own  sweetness, 
and  lastly  offer  it  as  a  dish,  on  which  exquisite  food  is 
served  for  Me  to  feed  upon  Myself. 

"  This  offering  ought  to  be  frequently  renewed.  The 
Sacred  Heart  expects  it  at  least  daily .?  On  rising  in  the 
morning  give  Me  thy  heart,  so  that  I  may  pour  My  love 
into  it." 

And  the  Sacred  Heart  appeared  to  her  open  and  as 
large  as  the  palms  of  her  two  hands,  like  a  burning  flame. 


'THE  OFFERING  OF  OUR  HEARTS        121 

Then  our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  It  is  so  I  would  wish  to  see 
the  hearts  of  all  men,  burning  with  the  fire  of  love." 

And  the  Sacred  Heart  does  not  leave  us  alone  amidst 
the  turmoil  of  the  world  and  business.  It  follows  us. 
"  Thou  canst  never  find  thyself  surrounded  by  so  great 
a  crowd  that  thou  art  not  alone  with  Me,  if  only  thou 
turn  thyself  to  Me  with  all  thy  heart." 

Let  us  now  listen  to  the  Virgin  of  Helfta  explaining 
this  lesson  of  the  perpetual  life  of  love,  or  union  with  the 
Sacred  Heart  of  our  Lord:  "When  a  man  is  alone  let 
him  continually  raise  his  heart  to  God,  speaking  tenderly 
to  Him,  and,  with  frequent  sighs,  desiring  ardently  to 
possess  Him.  By  this  continual  conversation  with  God 
his  heart  will  be  inflamed  with  divine  love.  If  he  is  with 
others,  let  him  turn  his  thoughts  to  God  as  much  as  he 
can ;  let  him  speak  willingly  of  God  to  them,  and  so  he 
will  enkindle  in  them  the  fire  of  divine  love.  In  the 
same  way  let  him  do  all  his  actions  for  God  and  for  His 
glory,  and  what  he  should  not  or  cannot  do,  let  him 
abstain  from,  also  for  the  love  of  God.  As  to  troubles 
or  contradictions,  let  him  accept  them  generously  for  the 
love  of  God  and  bear  them  patiently. 

But  if  the  loving  soul  gives  itself  to  the  Sacred  Heart, 
will  not  the  Sacred  Heart  give  itself  to  him  ?  Mechtilde 
wished  to  know  the  answer  to  this  question.  "  Lord," 
she  said,  "  when  I  pray  or  chant  the  psalms,  what  dost 
Thou  do  ?"  "  I  listen,  but  when  thou  dost  sing  I  unite 
My  voice  to  thine;  when  thou  dost  labour  I  take  My 
repose,  and  the  more  thou  dost  labour  with  zeal  and 
solicitude,  the  more  sweetly  I  rest  in  thee.  When  thou 
dost  eat  I  labour,  and  then  I  nourish  Myself  of  thee  and 
thou  of  Me;  and  when  thou  sleepest  I  watch  and  guard." 


CHAPTER  XLIII 
THE   OUTPOURINGS   OF   THE   HEART 

OD,"  says  the  prophet,  "is  a  jealous  God." 
Even  so  is  the  Heart  of  the  Son  of  God  made 
man.  He  wants  our  hearts  entirely  for  Himself 
alone.  On  this  condition  alone  will  He  give  us  His 
choice  graces.  The  lover  of  souls,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
desires  with  a  great  desire  to  draw  the  soul  to  Himself, 
particularly  if  it  longs  to  be  consoled  by  Him  and  to 
participate  in  His  graces  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be  willing 
to  reject  all  consolation  from  creatures  and  all  joy  that 
does  not  draw  or  urge  it  on  in  the  love  of  God.  Whatever 
a  man  loves,  or  whatever  he  may  have  received,  he  owes 
all  to  God,  who  wishes  thereby  to  draw  man  to  love  Him 
alone.  If,  therefore,  the  soul  feels  it  is  making  no  progress 
in  the  love  of  God,  that  the  thought  of  some  loved  object 
returns  more  frequently  to  the  mind  than  the  thought 
of  God,  let  it  turn  its  thoughts  away  from  that  object, 
if  it  does  not  wish  to  be  deprived  of  God's  loving  friend 
ship.  This  friendship  is  excessively  delicate  and  cannot 
bear  anything  to  be  considered  above  it,  nor  even  on  a 
level  with  it.  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  the  Son  of  paternal 
charity,  desires  to  be  the  Well-beloved  of  our  hearts. 
This  love  without  alloy  and  without  division  is  the 
greatest  of  the  joys  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  exceeding  the 
joy  it  receives  from  our  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

The  Virgin,  who  personified  love  to  Mechtilde,  took 
her  to  our  Lord.  She,  leaning  on  the  wound  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  of  our  Saviour,  which  was  her  all,  drew 
from  it  long  draughts  of  mildness  and  kindness,  which 
changed  all  her  bitterness  into  sweetness  and  her  fear 
into  security.  She  took  also  from  the  sweet  Heart  of 

122 


THE  OUTPOURINGS  OF  THE  HEART       123 

Christ  the  continual  praise  which  proceeds  from  the 
Sacred  Heart:  for  all  God's  praise  comes  from  this  Heart, 
which  is  the  pure  source  from  which  all  good  flows. 
She  took  also  a  second  fruit,  which  was  that  of  thanks 
giving,  for,  in  reality,  the  soul  can  do  nothing  of  itself 
if  God  does  not  prevent  it  with  His  grace. 

Our  Lord  then  said  to  her:  "  I  expect  from  thee,  more 
than  from  all  others,  that  thou  shouldst  give  me  a  fruit." 
She  replied:  "  And  what  is  this  fruit,  dear  Lord  ?"  "  It 
is  that  thou  shouldst  refer  all  that  delights  thy  heart 
to  Me  only."  "  O  my  only  Well-beloved,  how  shall  I 
do  this  ?"  "  My  love  will  accomplish  it  in  thee."  Then 
in  a  transport  of  gratitude  she  cried  out:  "  Oh  yes,  yes, 
love,  love,  love  !" 

Our  Lord  added :  "  My  love  shall  be  thy  mother,  and 
as  children  draw  milk  from  their  mother's  breast,  so  thou 
shalt  drink  from  the  breast  of  this  mother  interior  con 
solation  and  unutterable  sweetness,  and  this  mother  shall 
nourish  thee,  quench  thy  thirst,  clothe  thee  and  provide 
for  all  thy  necessities,  as  a  mother  would  do  for  her  only 
daughter." 

While  praying,  with  a  heart  full  of  fervour,  desiring 
the  Well-beloved  of  her  soul,  she  suddenly  felt  herself 
powerfully  drawn  by  divine  grace;  she  seemed  to  see  her 
self  sitting  at  our  Saviour's  side.  And  our  Lord  clasping 
her  soul  to  His  Sacred  Heart  filled  it  with  His  grace.  It 
seemed  to  her  that  it  flowed  into  all  her  members.  Love 
said  to  her  soul:  "  Enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  And 
at  these  words  she  entered  into  an  ecstasy.  As  a  drop 
of  water  in  wine  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  wine, 
so  this*  blessed  soul,  lost  in  God,  became  one  spirit  with 
Him.  In  this  union  her  soul  annihilated  itself,  but  God 
consoled  it,  saying:  "  I  will  shower  all  my  gifts  down  on 
thee;  rest  here,  leaning  on  the  Heart  of  Him  who  loves 
thee." 

Happy  a  thousand  times  the  souls  who  find  their  rest 


1 24  THE  LOFE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

on  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  !  And  shall  we  poor 
sinners  be  for  ever  deprived  of  this  happiness  f  Let  us 
ask  our  Blessed  Lady  how  we  may  make  ourselves  worthy 
and  so  testify  our  love  for  her  beloved  Son. 

Mechtilde  asked  the  Mother  of  God  one  day  to  obtain 
for  her  the  grace  to  be  cleansed  from  all  her  sins  in  the 
living  waters  of  the  divine  Heart.  Immediately  the 
Blessed  Virgin  took  her  into  her  arms  and  led  her  to  the 
divine  Heart;  her  soul  embraced  the  Heart  of  Jesus  five 
times. 

At  the  first  embrace,  she  felt  herself  purified  from  all 
her  stains.  At  the  second,  she  felt  that  the  true  peace 
of  our  Lord  was  given  her.  At  the  third,  she  received 
the  gift  of  a  special  sweetness  as  to  a  most  dear  friend. 
At  the  fourth,  she  was  transported  into  the  divine  Heart, 
where  shesawand  recognized  all  the  elect  and  all  creatures. 
And  our  Lord  said:  "  What  wilt  thou  or  canst  thou  desire 
more  ?  Now  all  that  constitutes  the  joy  of  heaven  is 
thine."  At  the  fifth,  it  seemed  to  her  that  she  was  sitting 
with  our  Lord  at  a  table  sumptuously  served  and  that 
she  was  eating  with  Him. 

So  we  see  a  soul  that  is  drawn  to  the  Heart  of  Jesus 
by  love  to  give  proofs  of  its  affection  finds  itself  over 
whelmed  by  numberless  favours.  It  came  bringing  the 
offering  of  its  love,  and  it  carries  away  with  it  the  treasures 
of  the  Sacred  Heart.  Continue,  O  Jesus,  to  treat  us  as  a 
mother  treats  her  child.  For  if  Thou  dost  seek  in  our 
hearts  for  the  generosity  of  the  Saints,  steeped  in  Thy 
love,  Thou  wilt  never  be  able  to  open  Thy  Heart  to  all 
the  children  of  Adam. 


CHAPTER  XLIV 
REPARATION  FOR  SIN 

THE  Sacred  Heart  was  particularly  honoured  in 
the  Monastery  of  Helfta  by  a  return  of  love,  the 
imitation  of  its  virtues,  by  perfect  praise  and  by 
thanksgiving.  Reparation  was  not,  however,  unknown, 
and  the  inmates  strove  to  repair  the  insults  offered  to  it. 
At  the  time  of  the  Carnival  Mechtilde  macerated  her  flesh 
till  the  blood  flowed,  offering  this  slight  reparation  to 
her  Well-beloved  for  all  the  excesses  and  wickedness  of 
the  world.  And  our  Lord,  several  times,  said  He  loved 
to  rest  on  Mechtilde's  heart,  where  He  could  forget  the 
pain  caused  Him  by  other  hearts.  It  was  the  Sacred 
Heart  just  as  Margaret  Mary  was  to  know  it. 

One  day  our  Lord  appeared  to  Mechtilde  as  though 
suspended,  with  hands  and  feet  tied,  and  said  to  her: 
"  Every  time  a  man  sins  mortally  he  ties  Me  thus,  and  as 
long  as  he  perseveres  in  his  sin  he  keeps  Me  in  this  torture." 
He  had  already  complained  of  being  so  ill-treated  in  His 
Church.  Three  things  particularly  grieved  Him:  the 
clergy  did  not  study  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  the  right 
way,  but  made  it  contribute  to  their  vanity;  Religious 
neglected  interior  things  and  gave  all  their  attention  to 
things  exterior;  the  people  took  no  care  to  hear  the 
word  of  God  nor  to  receive  the  Sacraments  of  Holy 
Church. 

Mechtilde  asked  our  Lord  to  teach  her  how  she  could 
offer  satisfaction  to  Him  for  the  many  members  of  the 
Church  who  at  this  time  (it  was  Quinquagesima  Sunday) 
showered  so  many  insults  on  Him.  Our  Lord  replied: 
"  Say  350  times  the  anthem:  Tibi  laus,  tibi  gloria,  tibi 
gratiarum  actio,  0  beata  Trinitasl — 'To  thee  be  praise, 

125 


126  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

to  thee  glory,  to  thee  thanksgiving,  O  blessed  Trinity,' 
in  reparation  for  all  the  indignities  offered  Me  by  those 
who  are  My  members." 

We  see,  therefore,  that  already  Mechtilde  was  intent 
on  oifering  reparation  for  the  sins  of  others.  But,  above 
all  others,  she  thought  of  her  own  sins.  One  day  when 
she  was  grieving  over  the  uselessness  of  her  past  life,  she 
offered  herself  to  live  if  possible  in  ceaseless  sorrow  and 
to  suffer  on  earth  to  the  uttermost. 

Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  To  repair  thy  omissions  and 
make  up  for  the  past,  praise  My  Heart  for  its  divine 
goodness.  It  is  the  source  and  origin  of  all  good,  and 
every  blessing  flows  from  it.  Then  praise  My  Heart  for 
the  numberless  graces  which  have  flowed,  flow  now,  and 
shall  for  ever  flow,  on  all  the  Saints  and  on  all  the  souls 
that  shall  be  saved.  Afterwards  praise  My  Heart  for  all 
the  sweetness  which,  so  many  times,  has  sprung  from  My 
loving  Heart  and  flowed  into  thine,  intoxicating  it  with 
heavenly  delight." 

Once,  on  Good  Friday,  at  the  time  when  she  was  going 
to  kiss  the  Cross,  by  a  divine  inspiration  she  said:  "  Be 
hold,  Lord,  all  my  desires.  I  attach  them  to  Thy  Cross, 
and  I  submit  them  all  to  Thy  desires,  so  that,  completely 
purified  and  perfectly  sanctified  by  this  union,  they  may 
never  incline  again  to  earthly  things." 

At  the  wound  of  the  right  hand  our  Lord  said  to  her: 
"  Hide  here  thy  spiritual  treasures,  so  that  all  the  negli 
gences  thou  hast  committed  while  wearing  the  religious 
habit  may  be  fully  repaired  by  My  riches." 

At  the  left  hand  He  said:  "  Place  here  all  thy  sorrows 
and  pains;  united  to  My  sufferings  they  will  be  sweet 
and  exhale  an  agreeable  odour  before  God;  as  a  garment 
impregnated  with  musk  or  any  other  scent,  spreading 
abroad  a  sweet  perfume,  or  as  a  piece  of  bread  dipped  in 
honey  tasting  of  sweetness." 

At  the  wound  in  His  Heart  He  said :  "  This  wound  is  so 


REPARATION  FOR  SIN  127 

large  that  it  embraces  heaven  and  earth  and  all  they 
contain ;  come,  place  thy  love  near  to  My  divine  love,  that 
it  may  be  perfected  and  so  blended  with  it  as  to  become 
one  only  love,  as  iron  is  identified  with  the  fire." 

The  servant  of  God  prayed  for  a  person  who  liad 
complained  to  her  of  the  sorrow  she  felt  because  she  did 
not  love  God  enough  and  did  not  serve  Him  with  enough 
devotion.  She  was  herself  also  filled  with  sorrow  at  the 
thought,  feeling  herself  in  every  way  useless,  having 
received  such  great  blessings  from  God  and  yet  loving 
Him  so  poorly.  Our  Lord  answered  her:  "  Come,  My 
well-beloved,  be  not  sad;  all  that  is  Mine  is  also  thine." 
"  If,  therefore,"  said  Mechtilde,  "  all  that  is  Thine  is 
mine,  I  possess  also  Thy  love,  for  Thou  hast  said  Thyself 
by  St.  John,  '  God  is  love*  (John  iv.  16).  I  offer  Thee, 
then,  this  love,  that  it  may  supply  for  all  that  is  wanting 
in  me." 

Our  Lord  accepted  this  offering  with  pleasure,  and  said 
to  her:  "Thou  must  always  do  this;  when  thou  dost 
desire  to  praise  or  to  love  Me  without  being  able  always 
to  fulfil  thy  desire,  thou  shalt  say:  *  Good  Jesus.  I  praise 
Thee;  supply,  I  beg  of  Thee,  all  that  is  wanting  to  me.' 
If  thou  desirest  to  love  thou  shalt  say:  *  Good  Jesus,  I 
love  Thee;  in  order  to  supply  what  is  wanting  to  my  love, 
I  beg  of  Thee  to  offer  to  Thy  Father  for  me  the  love  of 
Thy  Heart.'  Also  tell  the  person  for  whom  thou  hast 
prayed  to  do  the  same.  If  she  does  it  a  thousand  times 
a  day,  her  offering  shall  each  time  be  presented  to  the 
Father,  for  it  could  never  tire  or  weary  Me." 

What  a  magnificent  occupation  for  the  Sacred  Heart 
to  offer  itself  to  the  Father  every  time  that  we  wish  it  in 
order  to  supply  for  our  defective  praise  and  love  !  Thus 
does  it  heal  a  delicate  wound  in  a  loving  heart,  zealous 
for  God's  glory. 

"  I  am  come  with  all  My  divine  power,"  Jesus  said  to 
her  one  day,  "  to  heal  the  wounds  which  cause  you  pain." 


128   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

Mechtilde  said,  within  herself:  "Oh,  if  He  would  offer 
for  Me  an  act  of  full  and  complete  praise  to  God  the 
Father,  how  happy  I  should  be." 

Answering  her  thought  our  Lord  said:  "  In  what  does 
the  praise  of  God  consist,  if  not  in  a  lamentation  of  the 
soul  that  it  can  never  praise  Him  as  it  desires  ?  And  the 
desires,  devotion,  prayer  and  good  will  that  a  soul  has  to 
do  good,  all  this  is  a  sorrowful  lamentation,  and  when  I 
come  to  supply  for  it  Myself,  I  heal  it  of  all  its  wounds." 

But  this  was  not  enough  for  Mechtilde.  It  did  not 
suffice  that  our  Lord  said  to  her:  "Do  not  trouble,  I 
will  pay  all  thy  debts  and  I  will  supply  for  all  thy  negli 
gences."  She  could  not  be  consoled  for  having  so 
wastefully  squandered  the  gifts  God  had  given  her,  for 
having  loved  Him  so  coldly,  and  for  having  been  so  un 
faithful  to  Him  who  had  been  so  faithful  to  her  and  to  all. 
The  Sacred  Heart,  however,  had  the  last  word,  and  it  was 
adorable:  "  Even  if  thou  wert  perfectly  faithful  to  Me, 
thou  shouldst  infinitely  prefer  that  My  love  should  repair 
thy  negligences  rather  than  that  thou  shouldst  do  it, 
so  that  My  love  may  have  the  honour  and  glory." 


CHAPTER  XLV 


AL  the  graces  we  have  ever  received  have  flowed 
from  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  It  is  the  love 
burning  there  that  caused  Him  to  bestow  them  on 
us  so  abundantly. 

From  the  Sacred  Heart  flowed  the  Precious  Blood  that 
merited  these  graces  for  us  during  the  Passion.  So 
gratitude  is  a  duty  for  the  disciple  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of 
Jesus,  and  with  St.  Mechtilde  we  should  say:  "  What 
thanksgiving,  O  source  of  all  sweetness,  should  be  paid 
Thee  for  that  loving  wound  received  by  Thee  on  the  Cross 
for  man  ?  Victorious  love  pierced  Thy  loving  Heart 
with  a  dart,  and  for  our  healing  water  and  blood  gushed 
forth.  And  Thou  also,  conquered  by  the  love  Thou 
hadst  for  Thy  spouse,  didst  die  of  love." 

The  Blessed  Virgin,  safe  guide  of  grateful  souls,  will 
teach  us  our  duty:  "  Draw  nigh  and  kiss  the  wounds 
my  Son  received  for  love  of  thee.  But  kiss  thrice  His 
loving  Heart,  thanking  Him  for  having  given  Himself, 
now  and  for  ever,  to  thee  and  to  all  the  elect." 

And  our  good  Mother  continues  offering  us  the  other 
wounds  of  her  well-beloved  Son.  "  In  kissing  the 
wound  in  His  right  hand,  thank  Him  for  having  helped 
and  co-operated  in  all  thy  good  works.  At  the  left  hand 
thank  Him  that  He  will  always  be  for  thee  an  assured 
refuge.  Kiss  also  the  wound  in  His  right  foot  in  thanks 
giving  for  the  ardent  desire  which  caused  Him  to  thirst 
after  thee,  all  His  life.  Kiss  gratefully  also  the  wound  in 
His  left  foot,  for  there  thou  shalt  always  find  forgiveness 
for  thy  sins." 

It  is  a  pious  practice  often  to  press  our  lips  to  the  wound 
129  9 


130   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

of  His  most  sweet  Heart,  from  which  springs  for  us  re 
freshing  water  and  inebriating  wine — viz.,  the  Blood  of 
Christ  and,  with  it,  all  graces  in  an  infinite  number;  but 
in  order  to  please  the  Sacred  Heart  we  should  also  add  a 
continual  remembrance  of  it.  "  Let  men  meditate  with 
profound  gratitude,  and  keep  always  in  their  memory  the 
acts  of  virtue  I  practised  while  on  earth,  all  the  sufferings 
and  injuries  I  bore  during  thirty-three  years,  the  destitu 
tion  in  which  I  received  the  affronts  I  had  to  bear  from 
My  own  creatures,  and  at  last  My  death  on  the  Cross, 
that  most  bitter  death  borne  for  love  of  man.  By  it, 
I  bought  his  soul  with  My  Precious  Blood  to  make  it 
My  spouse.  Let  each  one  have  as  much  love  and 
gratitude  for  all  these  benefits  as  if  I  had  suffered  them 
for  his  salvation  alone." 

Such  thanksgiving  is  a  joy  to  the  Sacred  Heart  and 
profitable  to  ourselves.  This  joy  and  profit  cannot  be 
better  expressed  than  by  the  following  passage :  Mechtilde 
thanked  our  Lord  for  His  sacred  wounds,  begging  Him  to 
wound  her  soul  with  as  many  wounds  as  He  had  received 
in  His  holy  body.  Our  Lord  then  said  to  her :  "  As  often 
as  a  man  grieves  in  his  soul  over  the  memory  of  My 
Passion,  so  often  does  he  seem  to  lay  a  sweet  rose  on  My 
wounds.  From  this  wound  will  go  forth  a  dart  of  love 
to  pierce  his  soul  with  a  saving  wound." 

"'O  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  we  lay  on  Thy  wound  this 
rose  of  gratitude,  but  in  return  pierce  our  hearts  with  the 
dart  of  Thy  love." 


CHAPTER  XLVI 
CONFIDENCE 

y^ONFIDENCE    in    the    Sacred   Heart  is   only   a 

practical  faith  in  its  love  and  infinite  goodness. 
^-^      If  this  confidence  relates  to  the  past,  it  can  be 
defined  as  a  sweet  experience  of  the  help  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  in  our  needs.     It  then  assumes  the  character  of 
gratitude. 

If  this  confidence  relates  to  the  future,  it  is  the  pro 
found  certainty  of  the  faithfulness  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
in  helping  us  and  fulfilling  all  its  promises. 

If  this  confidence  relates  to  the  present,  it  is  an  actual 
and  lively  feeling  of  the  goodness  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
in  all  circumstances,  even  that  of  our  own  unworthiness. 
"  If  He  kill  me,  I  will  yet  hope  in  Him,"  said  holy  Job. 

Confidence,  then,  places  the  soul  in  a  particular  attitude 
towards  the  Sacred  Heart.  Like  to  that  of  a  child  to 
wards  its  father,  it  relies  on  him  for  its  nourishment, 
for  its  clothing,  for  its  education,  for  its  future.  It 
feels  itself  and  its  destiny  to  be  entirely  at  its  father's 
disposal,  but  as  it  believes  firmly  in  the  goodness  of  its 
father's  heart,  it  expects  all  from  him  and  rests  in  peace. 
Such  is  the  state  of  a  soul  who  really  trusts  the  Sacred 
Heart.  It  expects  all  from  it,  bread  for  soul  and  body, 
forgiveness  of  its  sins,  strength  to  fight  the  battles  of  life, 
deliverance  from  all  evil,  and  it  also  expects  choice  graces 
and  iavours  of  predilection. 

Notwithstanding  its  repeated  falls,  it  hopes  still  in  the 
infinite  tenderness  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  And  this  because 
its  confidence  does  not  rest  on  its  own  merits,  but  on  the 
infinite  love  of  God.  "  His  Heart,"  says  Mechtilde, 
"  is  simple  as  that  of  a  dove.  It  never  changes  in  its 


132   'THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

feelings  of  goodness  for  man,  even  though  he  is  so  often 
unfaithful."  Too  often  those  who  profess  piety  are  luke 
warm  and  feel  no  love;  but  the  love  of  the  divine  Heart 
is  always  unchangeable  and  burning  for  us.  To  inspire 
us  with  an  absolute  confidence  in  His  Sacred  Heart,  Jesus 
gives  us  through  Mechtilde  this  admirable  lesson: 

"  I  will  teach  thee  three  things  on  which  thou  mayst 
meditate  each  day.  Thou  shalt  gain  great  profit  from 
them. 

"  (i)  In  returning  thanks  to  Me,  remember  the  graces 
prepared  for  thee  in  the  Creation  and  Redemption.  I 
created  thee  to  My  own  image  and  likeness.  For  thee 
I  was  made  man,  and  after  countless  torments  for  the 
love  of  thee  suffered  a  most  bitter  death. 

"  (2)  Remember  with  gratitude  the  benefits  I  have 
bestowed  on  thee,  from  thy  birth  to  this  present  moment. 
By  a  choice  grace  I  called  thee  from  the  world;  many 
times  I  have  lowered  Myself  to  thy  soul;  I  have  filled  and 
inebriated  it  with  My  grace;  I  have  enlightened  it  with 
knowledge  and  inflamed  it  with  love;  every  day  I  come 
to  thee  ready  to  fulfil  thy  desires  and  will. 

"  (3)  Remember  with  praise  and  thanksgiving  the  great 
gifts  I  am  prepared  to  bestow  on  thee  in  heaven;  the 
greatest  riches,  far  beyond  what  thou  canst  believe  or 
realize,  all  that  thou  desirest  shall  be  there. 

"  It  is  a  great  joy  to  Me  that  men  expect  great  gifts 
from  Me.  If  any  of  them  expected  to  receive  from  Me 
greater  rewards  than  he  had  deserved  after  this  life  and, 
if,  in  consequence,  he  thanked  Me  for  them  during  his 
life,  he  would  thus  give  Me  so  much  pleasure  that,  no 
matter  how  great  his  faith  or  extraordinary  his  confidence, 
I  would  reward  him  beyond  his  merit;  it  is  impossible 
that  a  man  should  not  receive  what  he  has  believed  and 
hoped  for.  Therefore  it  is  good  for  a  man  to  hope  much 
in  Me,  and  to  place  in  Me  all  his  confidence." 

Mechtilde  therefore  said:  "  O  sweetest  Jesus,  if  it  is  so 


CONFIDENCE  133 

pleasing  to  Thee  that  man  should  trust  in  Thee,  tell  me, 
I  pray  Thee,  what  I  should  believe  of  Thy  ineffable  good 
ness  ?" 

Our  Lord  replied:  "Thou  must  believe  with  a  firm 
hope  that  after  thy  death  I  will  receive  thee  as  a  father 
receives  his  well-beloved  son,  that  I  will  share  all  that  I 
have  with  thee,  and  will  give  thee  part  of  Myself. 

"  Further,  I  will  receive  thee  as  a  friend  receives  his 
dearest  friend,  and  I  will  show  thee  a  greater  love  than 
friend  ever  received  from  friend. 

"  I  will  also  receive  thee  as  a  spouse  receiving  his  newly- 
made  bride  whom  he  loves  intensely,  with  so  much 
delight  and  sweetness.  No  spouse  ever  multiplied  for 
his  bride  so  much  tenderness  as  I  will  lavish  on  thee, 
filling  thee  with  joy  and  inebriating  thee  with  a  torrent 
of  happiness  from  My  divinity.'* 

Mech tilde  replied:  "What  wilt  Thou  give  to  those 
who,  because  of  these  promises,  trust  in  Thee  ?"  Our 
Lord  answered:  "  I  will  give  them  a  thankful  heart, 
with  which  they  will  receive  My  gifts  gratefully;  I  will 
give  them  a  loving  heart,  with  which  they  will  love  Me 
faithfully;  and  lastly  I  will  give  them  hearts  to  praise 
Me  as  the  heavenly  choirs  praise  Me,  loving  and  blessing 
Me  always." 

Deign  to  give  us  such  hearts,  O  Jesus  ! 


CHAPTER  XL VI I 

ORDINART  ACTIONS  DONE  IN  UNION  WITH 
THE  SACRED  HEART 

TRUE  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart  leads  us  to 
sacrifice  to  it  our  entire  selves.     The  soul  truly 
devoted  to  it  has  only  one  thought,  the  thought 
of  the  Sacred  Heart;  one  desire,  to  please  the  Sacred 
Heart;  one  only  preoccupation,  to  labour,  to  be  spent — 
in  one  word,  to  live  for  the  Sacred  Heart.     From  this 
proceeds  a  delicate  solicitude  to  consecrate  to  it  all  one's 
actions,  even  the  most  ordinary;  the  simple  use  of  our 
senses  and  material  needs,  such  as  eating  and  sleeping. 

And  indeed,  did  not  the  "  Word  made  Flesh  "  subject 
Himself  to  all  these  weaknesses  and  needs  of  our  nature 
during  the  thirty-three  years  He  lived  on  the  earth  ? 
A  soul  full  of  faith  knows  how  to  find  Him  amidst  these 
humiliations  and  seeming  trifles  as  really  as  in  the  Crib, 
on  Thabor,  or  on  Calvary.  I  say  more:  He  awaits  it, 
so  that  He  may  teach  it  the  dispositions  it  must  have 
in  order  to  be  conformed  to  His  own. 

Let  us  listen  to  Him:  "On  first  awakening  in  the 
morning,  salute  My  loving  Heart,  from  which  has  flowed, 
flows,  and  will  flow  for  ever,  every  good,  every  joy  and 
every  happiness  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  Strive  to  place 
thy  heart  in  Mine,  and  to  this  end  say:  *  Praise,  blessing, 
glory  and  salvation  be  to  Thee,  O  sweetest  and  most 
loving  and  faithful  Heart  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  thank  Thee 
for  having  guarded  and  protected  me  during  this  night, 
and  for  having  praised  and  thanked  God  the  Father 
in  my  stead.' 

"  And,  O  Jesus,  who  lovest  me  more  than  any  other,  I 
134 


UNION  WITH  THE  S4CRED  HEART      135 

offer  Thee  my  heart  as  a  refreshing  rose;, may  its  beauty 
draw  on  it  Thy  blessing  during  the  whole  of  this  day, 
and  its  perfume  rejoice  Thy  divine  Heart.  I  also  offer 
Thee  my  heart  as  a  cup  from  which  Thou  canst  drink 
of  Thine  own  sweetness,  with  all  that  Thou  wilt  do  in  me 
during  this  day.  I  also  offer  Thee  my  heart  as  an  exquisite 
pomegranate,  fit  to  appear  on  Thy  royal  table.  I  wish 
that  Thou  wouldst  consume  it  in  such  a  manner,  that 
this  poor  heart  of  mine  may  in  future  joyfully  know 
itself  to  be  in  Thee.  I  also  supplicate  Thee  to  grant 
that  all  my  thoughts,  words,  works  and  will  may  be 
directed  to-day  according  to  Thy  will  and  good  pleasure. 
Make,  then,  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  saying : '  In  the  name  of 
the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen. 
Holy  Father,  in  union  with  the  love  of  Thy  adorable  Son 
I  commend  my  spirit.'  And  thou  shalt  repeat  this  prayer 
at  the  commencement  of  all  thy  actions. 

"  Refer  thy  looks,  interior  as  well  as  exterior,  to  divine 
wisdom,  and  beg  it  to  give  thee  light.  Refer  thy  ears 
to  divine  mercy,  and  beg  it  to  preserve  thee  from  hearing 
what  might  hurt  thee.  Offer  thy  mouth  and  voice  to  the 
ever  faithful  God,  so  that  they  may  only  say  words  of 
wisdom  and  be  preserved  from  all  sin.  Offer  thy  hands 
to  the  good  God,  begging  Him  to  unite  thy  actions  to 
His  works,  to  sanctify  and  perfect  them  in  His  own  and  to 
prevent  thee  from  doing  evil.  Also  offer  thy  heart  to 
divine  love,  and  beg  that  it  may  be  so  united  to  the 
Sacred  Heart  as  to  be  charmed  and  inflamed  with  its  love, 
and  may  feel  no  other  love  or  joy  on  earth.  In  the  same 
way,  during  the  Mass,  offer  thy  heart  to  God,  and  before 
the 'Secret  purify  thyself,  turning  thy  thoughts  away 
from  all  things  of  earth,  preparing  thyself  to  receive  the 
stream  of  divine  love,  which  flows  into  and  fills  the  hearts 
of  those  who  assist." 

Our  Lord  in  this  way  recommends  us  with  great  in 
sistence  always  to  remain  united  to  Him,  and  He  wishes 


136  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

to  realize  in  some  way  in  us  St.  Paul's  expressive  words, 
"  I  live,  now  not  I:  but  Christ  liveth  in  me."  Hence 
one  day  He  said  to  His  spouse:  "I  give  thee  My  eyes 
that  thou  mayst  see  all  things  through  them,  My  ears  so 
that  by  them  thou  mayst  understand  all  thou  nearest; 
I  also  give  thee  My  mouth  that  by  it  thou  mayst  accom 
plish  all  that  thou  hast  to  say,  to  pray  or  to  sing;  and 
lastly  I  give  thee  My  Heart,  so  that  thou  mayst  think  by 
it,  and  love  Me  with  Myself." 

At  these  last  words  our  Lord  absorbed  the  whole  soul, 
and  united  Himself  so  intimately  with  it,  that  it  seemed 
to  see  with  the  eyes  of  God,  hear  with  His  ears,  speak 
by  His  mouth,  and  have  no  other  heart  than  that  of 
God. 

So  intimate  and  perfect  a  union  is  a  privilege  of  the 
few  only.  Yet  our  Lord  exacts  from  all  the  ordinary 
union  accomplished  by  a  supernatural  intention. 

"  Man  ought  to  unite  himself  to  Me  in  all  his  actions — 
as,  for  instance,  if  he  wishes  to  eat  or  sleep,  he  ought  to 
say  in  his  heart :  '  Lord,  in  union  with  the  love  which  made 
Thee  create  this  food  for  me,  I  take  it  for  Thy  eternal 
praise,  and  because  I  need  refreshment.'  " 

For  sleep  our  Lord  Himself  indicates  the  intention 
with  which  we  ought  to  take  it.  He  wishes  we  should 
go  to  sleep  in  drawing  five  sighs  from  His  divine  Heart. 

"  Before  sleep  draw  from  My  Heart  a  sigh  in  union 
with  that  praise  which  it  dispensed  in  favour  of  all  the 
Saints  and  as  a  supplement  of  what  was  owing  from  all 
creatures.  Also  a  sigh  in  union  with  that  gratitude  which 
the  Saints  drew  from  My  Heart,  and  which  they  returned 
for  all  the  gifts  I  had  bestowed  on  them.  The  soul 
ought,  then,  to  sigh  for  its  own  sins  and  those  of  others, 
in  union  with  that  compassion  which  made  Me  bear  the 
sins  of  all.  It  must  also  sigh  for  the  love  and  desire  it  has 
to  obtain  for  men  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  glory  of 
God  and  their  own  needs;  it  will  thus  unite  itself  to  the 


UNION  WITHgTHE  SACRED  HE  AM      137 

divine  desires  I  had  on  earth  for  man's  salvation.  Lastly, 
it  must  sigh  in  union  with  all  the  prayers  which  were 
poured  forth  from  My  Heart  and  from  those  of  My 
Saints  for  the  salvation  of  all,  whether  living  or  dead; 
it  ought  to  desire  that  each  breath,  during  the  sleep  of 
this  night,  might  be  accepted  by  Me  as  an  incessant 
sigh.  As  it  is  impossible  for  Me  to  refuse  anything  to  a 
loving  soul,  I  will  fill  them  according  to  the  plenitude  of 
My  divine  truth." 

How  holy  would  one  night  be,  if  preceded  by  such 
sighs  \  Happy  the  souls  faithful  to  a  perpetual  union 
with  the  Sacred  Heart. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII 
DI7INE  PRAISE 

THROUGH  the  Sacred  Heart  alone  can  we  adore 
God  in  a  manner  worthy  of  His  infinite  Love. 
Nothing  is  more  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine 
of  the  Church  than  St.  Mechtilde's  teaching  on  the  part 
taken  by  the  Sacred  Heart  in  the  divine  praise.     The  Son 
of  God  made  man  alone  offers  a  homage  worthy  of  the 
Blessed  Trinity;  and  it  is  through  Him  that  Angels  and 
men  may  praise  the  divine  Majesty. 

This  doctrine  is  fully  expressed  in  the  Preface  of  the 
Mass :  "  It  is  truly  meet  and  just,  right  and  salutary, 
that  we  should  at  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  give  thanks 
unto  Thee,  Holy  Lord,  Father  Almighty,  Everlasting 
God:  through  Christ  our  Lord.  Through  whom  the 
Angels  praise,  the  Dominations  adore  and  the  Powers 
fear,  Thy  Majesty;  the  Heavens  also  and  the  Heavenly 
Powers,  and  the  Blessed  Seraphim  glorify  it  in  common 
exultation.  With  whom,  we  beseech  Thee,  bid  that  our 
voices  also  be  admitted  in  suppliant  praise,  saying:  Holy, 
Holy,  Holy  is  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts.  Full  are  the 
Heavens  and  the  Earth  of  Thy  glory:  Hosanna  in  the 
Highest  !" 

So  we  see  that  all  praise  reaching  heaven  must  pass 
through  the  lips  and  Heart  of  Christ. 

Leaning  one  day  on  the  wound  of  the  sweet  Heart  of 
our  Saviour,  which  was  all  hers,  St.  Mechtilde  drew  from 
it  a  most  delicious  kind  of  fruit  and  raised  it  to  her  lips. 
This  signified  the  eternal  praise  which  proceeds  from 
this  divine  Heart;  indeed,  all  divine  praise  comes  from 
this  Heart,  pure  source  of  all  good. 

Mechtilde  sang  thanksgivings  to  God  and  prayed  the 
138 


DIVINE  PRAISE  139 

Son  of  God  Himself,  the  youthful  Spouse  of  all  loving 
souls,  to  render  to  God  the  Father  loving  praise  for  so 
great  and  inestimable  a  gift. 

O  admirable  condescension  !  The  Son  of  God  at 
once  presented  Himself  respectfully  before  His  heavenly- 
Father  and  praised  His  greatness  in  these  terms : 

Ccetas  in  excelsis  te  laudat  ccelicus  omnis, 
Et  mortalis  homo  et  cuncta  creata  simul. 

"  All  the  celestial  choirs  praise  Thee  in  the  highest 
And  mortal  man  and  all  creatures  join  in  the  concert." 

By  these  words  "  celestial  choirs  "  Mechtilde  under 
stood  that  our  Lord  drew  to  Himself  in  one  accord  the 
praises  of  all  the  heavenly  citizens;  and  by  the  words 
"  mortal  man,"  that  He  united  to  them  the  intentions 
of  all  men;  and  by  "  all  creatures  "  that  He  united  in 
Himself  the  substance  of  all  creatures  in  order  to  celebrate 
the  praise  of  God  the  Father.  In  the  same  way,  He 
resounded  for  them,  in  the  presence  of  God  the  Father, 
praise  in  the  name  of  heaven,  earth  and  hell. 

The  greatest  desire  of  the  Sacred  Heart  is  that  we 
should  excite  in  ourselves  the  spirit  of  praise  and  of 
adoration  in  spirit  and  truth,  which  He  announced  to  the 
Samaritan  woman  as  the  mark  of  His  true  disciples. 
St.  Mechtilde  continued:  "O  sweet  and  loving  Jesus, 
what  dost  Thou  prefer  that  I  should  do  ?"  He  replied: 
"  Praise."  Mechtilde  answered :  "  But  do  Thou  teach  me 
to  praise  Thee  worthily." 

She  then  learnt  from  our  Lord  that  she  should  strike 
three  times  on  the  Sacred  Heart.  The  first  stroke  was 
to  praise  the  Blessed  Trinity  for  Its  infinite  greatness 
and  she  accompanied  it  with  these  words  "  To  Thee  be 
honour  and  empire,  to  Thee  glory  and  power,  to  Thee 
praise  and  jubilation,  during  eternity,  O  Blessed  Trinity." 
At  the  second  stroke  she  gave  to  the  Sacred  Heart  she 
praised  God  for  all  the  graces  granted  to  the  Blessed  Virgin 
and  to  the  Saints  already  in  possession  of  heaven;  she  then 


140      THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEAR? 

said:  "It  is  just  that  all  Thy  creatures  should  praise, 
adore  and  glorify  Thee,  O  Blessed  Trinity.  To  Thee 
praise,  glory  and  thanksgiving  !"  The  third  time  that 
Mechtilde  knocked  on  the  Sacred  Heart  it  was  to  praise 
God  for  all  the  graces  He  had  showered  on  the  just  to 
sanctify  them,  on  sinners  to  convert  them,  on  the  souls 
in  purgatory  who,  each  day,  are  absolved  by  His  mercy 
and  brought  to  the  joys  of  heaven;  and  this  last  time  she 
said:  "All  conies  from  God,  in  Him  all  live.  To  Him 
be  glory  for  ever  and  ever  !  To  Thee  praise — Tibi 
laus  /" 

After  these  praises  her  soul  entered  the  sweet  Heart 
of  Jesus  and  there,  become  one  with  her  Well-beloved, 
she  saw  and  tasted  what  is  not  possible  for  man  to  express. 

The  virgins  who  follow  the  Lamb  sing  a  new  song, 
not  known  to  profane  lips.  But  it  is  still  from  the  Sacred 
Heart  that  comes  the  heavenly  harmony.  Three  strings, 
like  those  of  a  harp,  detached  themselves,  went  through 
the  Heart  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin,  then  through  the 
hearts  of  all  holy  virgins  and  met  in  the  Heart  of  Jesus. 
There  also  Mechtilde  heard  music  like  that  from  an  organ , 
and  she  remembered  the  words :  "  There  resound  con 
tinually  the  musical  instruments  of  the  Saints." 


CHAPTER  XLIX 

THE  SACRED  HEART  ITSELF  TRAINS  MECH- 
TILDE  IN  DIVINE  PRAISE 

ST.  MECHTILDE  had  a  beautiful  voice,  so  she 
had    charge    of    the    choir   in    the   Monastery   of 
Helfta.     She  brought  to  her  work  both  faith  and 
zeal.     Our  Lord  Himself  deigned  to  install  her  in  this 
important  employment. 

This  happened  on  the  feast  of  the  Annunciation. 
After  humbling  herself  profoundly  before  our  Lord  she 
begged  Him  to  forgive  her  all  her  sins,  and  by  the  merits 
of  His  holy  life  to  supply  for  all  her  imperfections.  As 
soon  as  she  had  received  from  our  Lord  the  precious  gift 
of  forgiveness  of  all  her  sins,  she  felt  bold  enough  to 
rest  on  the  breast  of  Jesus,  her  Well-beloved.  She  then 
beheld,  coming  from  the  Heart  of  our  Lord,  a  golden 
pipe  with  which  she  celebrated  the  praises  of  God. 

She  understood  and  begged  of  our  Lord  to  celebrate 
His  own  praise.  At  once,  she  heard  the  sweet  voice  of 
Christ,  the  divine  Cantor,  intone  this  canticle:  "Give 
praise  to  our  God,  all  ye  His  Saints  "  (Apoc.  xix.  5). 
Our  Lord  gave  her  to  understand  that  He  alone,  as  God, 
was  able  to  sing  praise  worthy  of  the  Sovereign  Majesty. 
For  which  reason,  He  would  transform  her  into  Himself, 
so  that  she  might  be  associated  with  Him  in  the  divine 
praise. 

He  placed  His  hands  on  hers,  giving  her  all  the  labours 
and  good  works  of  His  sacred  Humanity.  He  then 
placed  His  eyes  with  such  a  sweet  look  on  St.  Mechtilde's 
eyes,  giving  her  with  the  merits  of  His  holy  eyes  an 
abundant  flow  of  tears.  He  then  applied  His  ears  to 
those  of  His  servant,  so  enriching  her  with  the  merits 

141 


142   THE  LOFE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

of  His  holy  ears.  Then  placing  His  mouth  on  hers,  He 
made  her  share  in  the  words  of  praise,  the  thanksgiving 
of  His  life  and  His  preaching,  to  supply  for  all  her  negli 
gences.  He  then  placed  His  most  sweet  Heart  on 
Mechtilde's,  giving  her  a  share  in  His  meditations,  His 
acts  of  devotion  and  love,  and  so  enriched  her  abundantly 
with  all  His  treasures.  In  this  way  Mechtilde's  soul 
was  entirely  absorbed  in  that  of  our  Lord,  melted  by 
divine  love,  as  wax  is  melted  by  fire.  Immersed  in  our 
Lord  she  acquired  His  likeness,  as  though  it  had  been 
engraved  on  her,  and  she  became  one  with  her  Beloved. 
As  the  time  for  receiving  Holy  Communion  drew  near, 
she  heard  Him  whom  her  heart  loved  say:  "  Thou  in  Me, 
and  I  in  thee;  never  will  I  forsake  thee." 

The  only  thing  Mechtilde  desired  in  this  world  was 
the  glory  of  God.  Seconding  this  desire  our  Lord  gave 
her  His  Heart  as  a  golden  cup  delicately  chased,  saying 
to  her:  "  With  My  divine  Heart  thou  shalt  always  praise 
Me.  Go  and  give  My  Saints  to  drink  from  My  Heart 
a  liquor  of  life  which  will  plunge  them  into  a  blessed 
intoxication.  She  went  to  the  Patriarchs  and  to  the 
Prophets  to  whom  she  gave  to  drink  saying:  "  Receive 
Him  whom  you  have  so  long  desired  and  waited  for; 
pray  that  I  may  desire  Him  with  all  my  strength  and  sigh 
ceaselessly  for  Him,  night  and  day." 

She  then  went  to  the  Apostles,  saying  to  them:  "  Re 
ceive  Him  whom  you  have  loved  so  ardently  and  with 
your  whole  heart ;  pray  that  I  may  also  love  Him  fervently, 
above  all,  and  with  my  whole  heart."  Then  to  the 
Martyrs  she  said:  "  Behold  Jesus.  For  His  love  you  shed 
your  blood  and  delivered  your  body  to  death;  obtain 
for  me  that  I  may  generously  spend  myself  in  His  service." 
She  then  came  to  the  Confessors.  "  Receive  Him,"  she 
said,  "  for  whom  you  left  all,  despising  the  pleasures  of 
this  world;  obtain  for  me,  that  I  may  despise  all  joys  for 
His  love  and  attain  to  the  summit  of  religious  perfection." 


TRAINING  IN  PRAISE  143 

Coming  at  last  to  the  Virgins,  she  gave  them  to  drink, 
saying:  "  Receive  Him  to  whom  you  have  consecrated 
your  virginity,  and  grant  that  in  all  things  I  may  triumph, 
through  chastity  of  mind  and  body." 

Then  having  gone  round  the  heavenly  court  she 
returned  to  our  Lord,  and  He,  receiving  His  Heart,  this 
golden  cup,  placed  it  in  Mechtilde's  breast,  who  was  thus 
happily  united  to  our  Lord. 

After  this  vision  Mechtilde  was  able  to  sing  the  praises 
of  God.  It  was  no  longer  she  who  sang,  but  Jesus  living 
in  her.  O,  what  a  loving  installation  as  Cantor  !  You 
who,  by  the  beauty  of  your  voices,  glorify  our  Lord,  beg 
of  Jesus  a  similar  installation  and  sing  with  the  same 
fervour  and  perfection. 


CHAPTER  L 

THE  INTENTIONS  OF  THE  HEART  OF  JESUS 
IN  DIVINE  PR4ISE 

OUR  Lord  would  repeat  His  instructions  to  the 
holy  Benedictine  on  the  intentions  required  for 
singing  the  divine  praise. 

She  complained  one  day  of  having  been  unfaithful. 
Jesus,  laying  His  divine  Heart  on  hers,  said  to  her:  "  Now 
My  Heart  is  thine,  and  thy  heart  is  Mine  " — Nunc  Cor 
meum  tuum  est  et  cor  tuum  meum  est.  And,  in  a  sweet 
embrace,  He  drew  her  soul  so  intimately  to  Himself 
with  His  divine  strength  that  in  future  she  was  only 
one  spirit  with  Him. 

Our  Lord  Himself  then  indicated  the  intention  she 
was  to  have  during  the  Office.  "  At  Matins,  as  soon  as 
thou  hast  risen,  consider  respectfully  how,  forced  by  My 
love,  I  allowed  Myself  to  be  bound  by  wicked  hands  and 
became  obedient  unto  death;  prepare  thy  heart  to  obey 
all  that  shall  be  commanded  thee,  even  if  this  day  thou 
hadst  to  perform  all  the  acts  of  obedience  accomplished 
by  all  the  Saints. 

"  At  Prime  adore  the  humility  with  which  I  appeared 
before  the  most  unworthy  of  judges  as  a  most  meek  Lamb 
to  be  judged;  then  submit  thyself  to  every  creature  for 
My  sake,  and  be  ready  to  perform  the  lowest  and  most 
degrading  work. 

"  At  Tierce  consider  the  love  which  caused  Me  to  be 
despised,  spit  upon  and  covered  with  opprobrium;  then 
despise  thyself  and  hold  thyself  in  low  estimation. 

"  At  Sext,  that  the  world  may  be  crucified  to  thee  and 
thou  to  the  world,  consider  how  I  was  fastened  to  the 

144 


UNION  OF  INTENTIONS  145 

Cross  for  thee;  therefore  all  the  pleasures  and  joys  of  the 
world  should  be  for  thee  nothing  but  a  bitter  cross. 

"  At  None  die  to  the  world  and  every  creature. 
Consequently  the  bitterness  of  My  death  should  be 
sweetness  to  thy  heart,  and  every  creature  as  such  inspire 
thee  with  contempt  and  disgust. 

"  At  Vespers,  the  hour  when  I  was  taken  down  from  the 
Cross,  remember  that  after  death  and  the  end  of  thy 
labours,  thou  shalt  rest  in  a  blessed  repose  in  My  Heart. 

**  At  Compline  think  of  that  blessed  union  when, 
become  one  spirit  with  Me,  thou  shalt  enjoy  Me  fully. 
This  union  will  begin  by  the  submission  of  thy  will  to 
Mine,  in  prosperity  as  in  adversity,  and  will  be  perfect 
on  the  day  on  which  thou  shalt  enter  into  the  glory  which 
shall  never  end." 

Mechtilde  often  said:  "Teach  me  to  praise  Thee." 
And  our  Lord  always  replied:  "  Consider  My  Heart. "^ 


10 


CHAPTER  LI 
THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  CONFESSION 

THE  Sacrament  of  Penance  is  the  most  merciful 
invention    of    divine   love.     There    are    hidden 
all  the  treasures  of  satisfaction  amassed  by  Jesus 
on    Calvary,    and    when    they   please    all    sinners    may 
come  to  take  what  they  need.     Whatever  their  crimes 
may  be,  they  will  return  purified,  holy  with  the  holiness 
of  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  rich  with  the  drops  of  His  blood, 
as  Magdalen  was  formerly  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross. 

With  this  Sacrament,  as  with  all  the  others,  man  must 
co-operate  by  his  acts.  Carefulness  in  examination, 
confusion  and  sincerity  in  avowal,  sorrow  and  firm 
purpose  in  repentance — all  these  are  required  of  the 
penitent.  Our  Lord  exacts  them  as  an  essential  condition 
for  forgiveness.  We  must,  therefore,  fulfil  our  own  part 
of  the  Sacrament  with  diligent  care,  but  also  with  great 
discretion. 

Before  confession  we  ought  to  strip  ourselves  of  what 
is  faulty  in  us  by  contrition,  as  Christ  was  stripped  before 
the  scourging  and  crucifixion.  And  if  Christ  was  stripped 
to  be  scourged,  man  ought  to  divest  himself  of  all  sinful 
affections,  before  confessing  his  sins.  What  an  excellent 
reason  this  is  for  us  to  look  sincerely  into  our  conscience 
and  then  afterwards  to  confess  our  sins  honestly  to  Christ's 
representative  ! 

For  the  examination  of  conscience,  St.  Mechtilde 
recommended  the  practice  of  placing  the  Sacred  Heart 
and  its  virtues  before  ourselves  as  a  mirror.  So  in  the 
mirror  of  the  humility  of  Jesus  man  might  consider 
carefully  his  own  humility  and  see  if  he  has  not  stained 

146 


THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  CONFESSION     147 

his  soul  by  pride  or  haughtiness.  In  the  mirror  of  the 
patience  of  the  Sacred  Heart  man  should  test  his  own 
patience  and  see  if  he  discover  not  some  impatience  in 
himself.  In  the  mirror  of  the  obedience  of  the  Sacred 
Heart  he  should  examine  his  conduct  and  see  if  he  has 
not  been  disobedient.  In  the  mirror  of  the  love  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  he  should  ask  himself  what  love  he  has  had 
for  His  Superiors,  and  whether  he  has  been  peaceful  with 
his  equals  and  full  of  kindness  to  his  inferiors. 

If  in  these,  or  other  points,  man  finds  some  stain  on 
his  soul  he  must  efface  it  with  the  application  of  the 
humanity  of  Christ;  he  must  remember  that  Christ  is 
our  brother,  and  that  in  His  tender  goodness  He  forgives 
man  his  sins,  as  soon  as  they  are  acknowledged. 

Mechtilde  added  a  recommendation  which  ought  to 
be  received  gratefully  by  scrupulous  souls.  Man  should 
be  careful  not  to  wash  his  stains  with  too  much  eagerness 
— that  is,  without  considering  the  divine  goodness;  for  by 
effacing  them  too  eagerly  he  might  easily  injure  rather 
than  heal,  his  soul. 

What  a  number  of  souls  have  been  injured  by  their 
exaggerations !  Let  them  rather  go  to  the  Sacred  Heart, 
source  of  all  mercy,  trusting  in  its  loving  kindness,  for  it  is 
Jesus  Himself  who  forgives  sin  when  the  priest  pronounces 
the  words  of  absolution.  Mechtilde  saw  our  Lord  one 
day  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  the  divine  Majesty 
blotting  out  sins.  As  each  Sister  came  with  a  contrite 
heart  to  confess  her  sins,  our  Lord  enfolded  each  with 
His  right  arm  and  by  His  merits  effaced  her  sins  as 
though  they  had  never  existed.  After  having  purified 
them  in  this  manner  He  presented  each  to  His  heavenly 
Father,  who  looking  lovingly  on  them  said :  "  The  right 
hand  of  My  Just  One  has  protected  thee  and  obtained 
for  thee  a  sincere  reconciliation." 

It  sometimes  happens,  however,  that  the  most  calm 
souls  are  disturbed  in  receiving  the  Sacrament  of  Penance. 


148   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

They  think  they  are  quite  unable  to  discover  the  depths 
of  malice  and  corruption  of  their  fallen  nature.  Even  the 
priest  could  not  descend  to  the  depths  of  the  perversity 
of  their  hearts.  In  these  distressing  but  sanctifying 
circumstances  St.  Mechtilde  suggests  the  following 
practice: 

If  a  person  having  sincerely  made  her  confession  fears 
to  have  made  a  bad  confession,  and  yet  finds  nothing  on 
her  conscience  that  she  has  not  confessed,  she  must  make 
to  God  a  confession  of  praise;  acknowledging  the  failings 
she  perceives  in  herself  and  extolling  by  her  praises  His 
divinity;  she  will  confess  how  guilty  she  has  been  in  not 
having  shown  to  our  Lord  sufficient  respect,  in  having  so 
often  tarnished  in  herself  the  image  of  God,  in  having 
filled  her  memory  with  worldly  and  useless  things,  in 
having  used  her  mind  to  gain  worldly  knowledge,  and  in 
having  taken  pleasure  in  what  was  vile  and  fleeting. 

In  the  same  way,  after  having  extolled  the  clear 
sightedness  of  the  divine  eyes,  she  will  mourn  for  having 
cared  too  much  for  earthly  things,  for  having  abused  the 
use  of  her  senses,  and  for  not  having  profited  by  her 
knowledge  of  God. 

Also,  having  praised  the  mercy  of  the  divine  ears,  she 
will  accuse  herself  of  not  having  listened  as  she  ought 
to  the  word  of  God,  and  of  not  having  condescended  to 
listen  to  others. 

How  many  sins  are  committed  by  the  tongue,  by 
murmuring,  by  vain  and  useless  words;  by  silence  when 
God  or  His  doctrine  ought  to  have  been  spoken  of;  by 
silence  at  the  time  of  prayer  or  praise. 

And  how  often  has  the  soul  impatiently  shaken  off 
the  yoke  she  had  accepted  at  Baptism,  because  things 
were  not  to  her  liking  !  She  has  been  either  unwilling 
to  carry  it,  or  has  carried  it  against  the  grain.  And  the 
yoke  of  religion  which,  in  the  presence  of  the  Saints,  she 
has  received  at  her  profession,  promising  to  belong 


THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  CONFESSION     149 

entirely  to  God,  how  often  has  she  not  broken  it  by 
refusing  to  obey  ! 

In  remembering  with  what  cruelty  Jesus  Christ  was 
scourged,  she  recognizes  that  her  fault  lies  in  not  chas 
tising  her  body,  but  in  flattering  it  in  its  softness  and  in 
delicately  nourishing  it. 

She  has  also  sinned  before  the  divine  Heart  in  not 
loving  God  with  her  whole  heart,  in  not  meditating  on 
the  law  of  God,  thinking  rather  of  useless  things.  She 
has  sinned  with  her  hands  in  doing  wrong,  in  avoiding 
good  works,  especially  those  of  mercy  and  charity  done  in 
common.  She  has  also  soiled  her  feet  spiritually — that  is, 
her  affections — when  she  has  turned  them  from  God  and 
has  not  directed  her  aspirations  towards  Him  and  heavenly 
things  with  her  whole  heart. 

The  voice  of  our  conscience  may  multiply  its  accusations 
and  reproaches,  the  Angels  and  Saints  themselves  may 
witness  against  us,  but  let  us  listen  to  the  voice  of  Jesus, 
more  powerful  than  the  voice  of  our  iniquities :  "  O  my 
Father,  I  will  answer  for  all  that  is  brought  against 
each  one  of  them,  for  My  Heart  is  pierced  for  love  of 
them." 

What  has  attracted  Thee,  O  Jesus  ?  "  My  own  free 
choice;  I  chose  them  for  My  own,  from  all  eternity." 

So,  with  the  same  confidence  as  St.  Mechtilde,  relying 
on  such  a  surety,  let  us  take  our  crucifix  into  our  hands 
saying  to  God  the  Father: 

"  I  offer  Thee,  O  adorable  Father,  Thy  very  humble 
Son,  who  has  paid  all  the  debts  I  have  contracted  by  my 
pride.  I  offer  Thee  Thy  most  meek  Son  who  has  sacrificed 
for  all  the  sins  I  have  committed  by  anger.  I  also  offer 
Thee  Thy  most  amiable  Son  and  the  love  of  His  Heart, 
which  has  fully  satisfied  for  all  my  failings.  His  boundless 
liberality  has,  in  advance,  paid  for  all  my  sins.  His  holy 
zeal  has  supplied  for  my  cowardice.  His  perfect  absti 
nence  has  atoned  for  my  intemperance.  The  purity  of 


150   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

His  innocent  life  has  obtained  pardon  for  all  the  evil 
I  have  committed  in  thought,  word,  or  deed.  His  perfect 
obedience,  which  made  Him  obedient  unto  death,  has 
blotted  out  my  disobediences,  and  His  perfection  has 
atoned  for  my  imperfection." 


CHAPTER  LII 
ON  PURITT  OF  CONSCIENCE 

THE  holiest  souls  are  often  saddened  by  their 
failings,  and  sometimes  their  faults,  though 
slight,  become  for  them  an  obstacle  to  frequent 
Communion.  They  dare  not  receive  our  Lord  !  What 
is  to  be  done  ? 

One  day  Mechtilde  wanted  to  go  to  confession;  but 
there  was  no  confessor,  so  she  was  much  grieved,  as  she 
could  not  receive  Holy  Communion. 

She  therefore  began  to  pray.  She  accused  herself 
bitterly  of  all  her  sins  to  God  the  High  Priest,  of  her 
negligences,  and  of  all  her  faults,  and  He  assured  her  that 
her  sins  were  forgiven.  Returning  thanks  at  once  for 
this  great  favour,  she  said  to  our  Lord:  "  O  my  sweet 
Saviour,  what  has  now  become  of  all  my  sins  ?"  He 
replied :  "  When  a  powerful  King  comes  to  stay  in  a  house, 
it  is  at  once  cleaned  so  that  nothing  should  offend  his  eyes, 
but  if  he  is  so  near  that  there  is  no  time  to  carry  away  the 
dirt  it  is  carefully  hidden  in  a  corner  to  be  afterwards 
thrown  away.  In  the  same  way,  if  thou  hast  the  will  to 
confess  thy  sins  and  a  firm  purpose  not  to  commit  them 
again,  they  are  completely  blotted  out,  and  I  will  re 
member  them  no  more,  but  thou  must  remember  them 
in  the  confessional.  The  will  and  desire  which  thou  hast 
to  avoid  sin  with  all  thy  strength  and  power  are  bonds 
which  attach  and  unite  Me  to  thee  so  that  nothing 
could  ever  separate  us." 

Jesus  had  spoken  and  yet  Mechtilde  hesitated.  This 
is  what  so  often  happens  to  timorous  souls  who  dare  not 
advance  even  at  the  priest's  word.  Many  different 
reasons  caused  her  to  hesitate.  She  thought  herself 


152  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  'HEART 

unworthy  to  partake  of  the  banquet  of  the  King  of  Angels ; 
she  felt  it  impossible  to  receive  so  magnificent  a  gift 
without  preparation  and  confession.  On  the  other  hand, 
our  Lord  had  suggested  thoughts  of  hope  and  consolation. 

Our  Lord  spoke  again.  "  Reflect,"  He  said,  "  on  this. 
Every  desire  that  a  soul  has  ever  had  to  possess  Me  is 
inspired  by  Me;  it  is  like  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  the 
words  of  the  Saints  which  proceed,  and  shall  ever  proceed, 
from  My  Spirit." 

She  therefore  felt  more  confidence,  and  her  heart  was 
filled  with  so  much  courage  that  henceforth  nothing 
seemed  capable  of  thwarting  her  desire. 

She  approached  the  heavenly  banquet  of  the  Body  and 
Blood  of  Christ.  Then  she  heard  our  Lord  Himself 
say  to  her:  "  Wouldst  thou  know  how  I  am  in  thy  heart  ?" 
And  at  once  she  saw  a  dazzling  brightness  like  the  rays 
of  the  sun  streaming  from  her  person,  and  by  that  she 
understood  the  working  of  divine  grace  in  her  soul  and 
a  sure  mark  of  God's  love  for  her. 

Sin  must  therefore  be  washed  away  in  the  Sacrament 
of  Penance.  Our  Lord  has  decreed  that  all  mortal  sins 
shall  be  so  absolved.  This  is  not  necessary  in  the 
case  of  lighter  sins,  our  daily  failings;  for  these  love 
suffices. 

Once  Mechtilde  saw  some  sinners  present  themselves 
before  our  Lord.  They  carried  their  sins  on  their 
shoulders  and  then  laid  them  at  His  feet.  Their  sins 
were  then  changed  into  golden  jewels,  because  their 
sorrow  was  more  actuated  by  the  love  of  God  than  by 
fear  of  punishment.  Those  sins,  carried  with  repentance 
to  the  feet  of  our  Lord,  had  for  Him  the  same  value  as 
the  perfume  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene,  patron  of  penitents. 
Our  Lord  said:  "  What  shall  we  do  with  these  faults  and 
these  presents  ?  Let  them  be  burned  in  the  fire  of  love." 
His  visus  dominus  :  quid  de  hisfaciemus  ?  Utroque  in  amore 
omnia  concrementur — '  Lord,  open  for  me  the  furnace 


ON  PURHT  OF  CONSCIENCE  153 

of  Thy  Heart  and  cause  all  my  iniquities  to  be  burned 
therein.'  " 

One  Sunday,  while  they  were  singing  the  Asperges, 
Mechtilde  said  to  our  Lord:  "  My  Lord,  with  what  wilt 
Thou  now  wash  and  purify  my  heart  ?"  Then  our  Lord 
with  inexpressible  love  leaned  over  her,  as  a  mother  over 
her  son,  took  her  into  His  arms,  and  said :  "  I  will  wash  thee 
with  the  love  of  My  divine  Heart  " — In  amore  divini 
cordis  mei  te  lavdbo.  He  then  opened  His  Heart,  treasury 
of  divine  mercy,  and  she  saw  therein  a  river  of  flowing 
water;  it  was  the  river  of  love,  Her  soul  plunged  into  it, 
and  at  once  was  cleansed  from  all  its  stains. 

But  how  are  we  to  obtain  that  this  living  water  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  should  reach  our  souls  ?  By  acts  of  love. 

One  day,  Mechtilde  saw  flowing,  with  much  force, 
a  swift  and  pure  stream  from  the  divine  Heart,  It  was 
going  to  purify  from  all  their  sins  the  souls  who  had 
prayed  for  her  through  charity,  and  our  Lord  said  to  her : 
"Acts  of  charity  cleanse  men  from  venial  sin;  but  sin 
clings  to  the  soul  like  pitch ;  it  ought,  therefore,  often  to 
be  cleansed  away  by  confession  and  great  contrition.  I 
guard  in  My  Heart  all  works  of  chanty  as  a  most  precious 
treasure.  I  wait  until  he  who  has  performed  them  comes 
to  Me,  and  then  I  return  them  to  him  to  augment  his 
merit  and  graces." 


CHAPTER  LIII 
THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  HOLT  MASS 

f  •  AHE  thrice  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Cross  is  renewed 
on  our  Altars.  Holy  souls  devoted  to  the  Sacred 

"*•  Heart  know  how  to  find  there  the  drops  of  blood 
fallen  from  this  fountain  during  the  Passion.  They  here 
offer  to  the  infinite  majesty  of  God  all  the  adoration, 
annihilation  and  satisfaction  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  The 
Heart  of  Jesus  is  the  centre  of  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 
From  this  Heart  all  flows  for  God  and  for  man.  Mechtilde 
was  allowed  to  contemplate  the  grandeur  of  this  mystery. 

During  Holy  Mass  she  once  saw  the  Heart  of  Jesus 
Christ  under  the  appearance  of  a  lamp.  It  was  as  brilliant 
and  transparent  as  a  living  flame.  From  this  divine 
Heart  overflowed  on  all  around  floods  of  sweetness,  which 
filled  the  hearts  of  all  who  assisted  at  Mass.  The  flame 
signified  the  fire  of  divine  love  which  burnt  in  the  Heart 
of  Christ  when  He  offered  Himself  to  God  the  Father 
on  the  altar  of  the  Cross.  The  sweetness  which  over 
flowed  signified  the  innumerable  blessings  and  immeasur 
able  happiness  which  He  has  bestowed  on  us  through  His 
divine  Heart.  In  it  we  possess  all  that  is  necessary  for 
salvation,  praise  and  thanksgiving,  as  well  as  prayer,  love, 
desire,  satisfaction  and  reparation  for  all  our  negligences. 

Our  Divine  Lord  said  to  His  servant:  "At  the  Mass 
offer  thy  heart  to  God,  and  before  beginning  thy  prayer 
purify  and  detach  it  from  all  terrestrial  thoughts,  so 
preparing  it  to  receive  the  inflowing  of  divine  love  which 
inundates  and  fills  the  hearts  of  those  who  assist.  I 
also  deliver  Myself  entirely,  with  all  I  possess,  into  the 
power  of  thy  soul,  and  in  that  way  thou  canst  dispose  of 
Me  as  thou  wilt." 


THE  SACRED  HE  AM  AND  HOLT  MASS    155 

One  day  when  she  was  troubled  with  distractions  and 
hindered  from  uniting  herself  to  God  during  Mass,  she 
begged  our  Blessed  Lady  to  obtain  for  her  the  presence 
of  her  well-beloved  Son.  Through  the  intercession  of 
the  divine  mediatrix  between  God  and  man  she  again 
saw  Jesus  on  the  Altar.  She  saw  Him  seated  on  a  raised 
throne,  clear  as  crystal.  In  front  of  this  throne  sprang 
two  beautifully  clear  streams,  one  signifying  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  the  other  spiritual  consolation.  These  are 
the  gifts  given  more  especially  and  abundantly  during 
Mass  by  divine  providence.  At  the  oblation  of  the 
Sacred  Host  our  Lord,  who  is  Himself  this  divine  throne, 
seemed  to  elevate  with  His  own  hands  his  sweet  Heart 
as  a  lamp  which  shone  and  was  filled  to  overflowing. 
The  divine  oil  overflowed  on  all  sides  so  that  it  splashed 
up  in  large  drops,  and  yet  what  had  overflowed  had  not 
lessened  what  the  lamp  contained.  From  which  we  may 
understand  that  all  receive  of  the  abundance  of  our 
Lord's  Heart,  each  one  according  to  his  capacity,  but  that 
He  loses  nothing  of  the  superabundance  of  His  beatitude 
nor  does  it  suffer  the  smallest  diminution. 

O  marvellous  treasury,  never-failing  source  of  blessings, 
what  folly  in  man  to  neglect  to  avail  himself  of  it !  But 
in  order  to  participate  therein  we  must  bring  the  neces 
sary  dispositions. 

One  day  that  Mechtilde  was  going  to  assist  at  Mass 
she  saw  our  Lord  coming  from  heaven  clothed  in  white. 
He  said  to  her:  "  When  men  go  to  Church  they  should 
prepare  themselves  by  penance,  striking  their  breast  and 
confessing  their  sins.  They  may  then  approach  My 
dazzling  purity.  This  is  what  is  signified  by  My  white 
clothing." 

During  the  Holy  Sacrifice  the  Sacred  Heart  is  therefore 
an  open  treasury  from  which  we  may  take  all  we  need. 
But  what  are  we  to  think  of  the  Sacred  Heart  ?  With 
what  dispositions  is  it  offered  on  the  altar  by  the  hands 


156   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

of  its^humble  minister?  Who  could  tell,  O  Jesus, 
unless  Thou  didst  Thyself  reveal  it  ? 

Our  Lord  offers  Himself  to  us  during  Mass  with  seven 
different  dispositions.  In  the  first,  He  comes  with  such 
humility  that  none  is  too  lowly  or  vile  for  His  conde 
scension,  if  desirous  of  receiving  Him.  In  the  second, 
He  comes  with  such  patience  as  to  endure  any  enemy  or 
sinner  and,  if  the  sinner  wished  it,  He  would  forgive  him 
all  his  sins.  In  the  third,  He  comes  with  such  love  as 
to  inflame  the  coldest  and  hardest-hearted  worshipper 
with  His  love  and  touch  his  heart,  if  it  have  in  it  any 
lingering  spark  of  desire.  In  the  fourth,  He  comes  with 
such  generosity  as  to  enrich  the  poorest  person  present. 
In  the  fifth,  He  offers  Himself  to  all  as  a  sweet  and 
satisfying  food,  so  that  there  is  no  one  so  ill  or  so  hungry 
as  cannot  be  restored  or  fully  satiated  by  Him.  In 
the  sixth,  He  comes  with  such  light  as  to  illumine  the 
most  blind  or  darkened  mind  with  His  presence.  In  the 
seventh,  He  comes  with  such  sanctity  and  grace  as  to 
help  the  most  cowardly  and  distracted  to  shake  off  his 
torpor,  and  stir  him  to  devotion. 

And  we  who  go  before  this  God  to  receive  Holy  Com 
munion,  with  what  dispositions  should  we  present  our 
selves  to  receive  Him  ? 

"  While  they  sing  the  Sanctus"  our  Lord  tells  us,  "  let 
each  one  say  a  Pater,  and  beg  of  Me  to  prepare  him,  in 
giving  him  the  all-powerful,  wise  and  sweet  love  of  My 
Heart,  that  he  may  receive  Me  worthily  into  his  heart 
so  that  I  may  work  and  effect  therein,  according  to 
My  will,  what  I  had  resolved  and  ordained  from  all 
eternity." 

And  what  should  be  our  thanksgiving?  During  the 
Communion  this  verse  may  be  recited: 

"  I  praise  Thee,  O  love  so  strong  ! 
I  bless  Thee,  O  love  so  wise  ! 
I  glorify  Thee,  O  love  so  sweet!" 


'THE  SACRED  HEART  AND  HOLT  MASS    157 

"  I  exalt  Thee,  O  love  full  of  goodness,  in  all  the  works, 
and  for  all  the  good  that  Thy  glorious  divinity  and 
blessed  humanity  have  deigned  to  operate  by  Thy  most 
holy  Heart,  and  that  it  will  continue  to  operate  to  all 
eternity. 

"  At  the  priest's  benediction  I  will  bless  thee  thus : 
*  May  My  power  bless  thee,  may  My  wisdom  instruct 
thee,  may  My  sweetness  fill  thee,  and  may  My  goodness 
draw  thee  and  unite  thee  to  Me,  for  ever.  Amen.'  " 

Illness  sometimes  prevents  Christians  from  going  to 
the  church.  Mechtilde  had  also  to  bear  this  trial;  she 
groaned  and  complained  to  our  Lord  at  being  thus  put 
aside.  Our  Lord  consoled  her  thus:  "There  where 
thou  art,  I  am  also." 

She  asked  if  she  did  not  lose  much  in  hearing  Mass 
from  so  great  a  distance.  Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  It  is 
good  to  be  present,  but,  when  impossible,  and  when 
illness,  obedience,  or  any  other  legitimate  reason  prevents, 
then,  where  thou  art,  I  am  also  present," 

Mechtilde  then  said:  "O  Lord,  give  now  to  my  soul 
some  spiritual  consolation  drawn  from  the  words  of  the 
Mass."  Our  Lord  replied:  "At  this  moment  they  are 
singing  the  Agnus  Dei  three  times,  At  the  first,  offer 
Me  to  God  the  Father  with  all  My  humility  and  patience 
for  thyself:  at  the  second,  offer  Me  and  all  the  bitterness 
of  My  Passion  in  order  to  obtain  perfect  forgiveness  of 
thy  sins :  at  the  third,  offer  Me  with  all  the  love  of  My 
Heart  to  supply  for  all  that  man  cannot  do."  Our  Lord 
added:  "  Verily,  to  him  who  with  zeal  and  devotion  hears 
Mass,  I  will  send  at  his  last  hour  as  many  of  the  greatest 
Saints  a's  he  has  heard  Masses  to  console,  defend,  and  form 
a  guard  of  honour  to  him." 

The  Saints  have  rejoiced  so  much  at  the  Masses  said 
in  their  honour,  that,  intoxicated  with  joy  in  the  Sacred 
Heart,  they  have  appeared  to  the  dying  man  as  much  to 
thank  him  as  to  help  him.  May  the  poor  sick  accept 


158   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

this  sweet  consolation  from  the  Sacred  Heart !  It  is 
with  you  where  you  are.  But,  even  so,  when  you  hear 
the  tinkle  of  the  bell  which  foretells  the  coming  of  Jesus 
on  our  altars,  offer  Him  three  times,  as  He  Himself  asks. 

But  all  you  who  have  strength  and  leisure,  assist 
every  day  at  Holy  Mass,  so  as  to  increase  the  number 
of  Saints  who  shall  assemble  to  help  you  at  the  hour  of 
your  death,  according  to  the  promise  of  the  Sacred  Heart. 

Even  here  below  we  receive  numberless  graces  through 
the  Sacred  Heart  immolated  on  our  altars.  Mechtilde 
saw  the  Sacred  Heart  under  the  form  of  a  lamp,  which 
overflowed  all  around,  but  she  also  saw  the  hearts  of 
those  who  assisted  at  Mass  and  her  own,  under  the  appear 
ance  of  lamps  united  by  mysterious  bonds  to  the  Heart 
of  Jesus.  Some  were  upright,  full  of  oil,  and  seemed 
alight,  others  were  empty  and  seemed  overturned.  By 
the  upright,  well-lighted  lamps  were  designated  the 
hearts  of  those  who  assisted  at  Mass  with  fervour  and 
devotion.  The  empty,  overturned  lamps  represented  the 
hearts  of  those  who  were  negligent  and  did  not  attempt 
to  stir  up  their  devotion. 


CHAPTER  LIV 
INVITATION  TO  HOLT  COMMUNION 

THE  most  perfect  union  with  our  Lord  is  effected 
by  the  reception  of  His  most  holy  Body  and  Blood 
in  Holy  Communion. 

There,  as  at  no  other  time,  meet  the  Heart  of  Jesus 
and  the  heart  of  His  disciple.  It  is,  therefore,  the  most 
suitable  time  for  pouring  out  our  love  and  assuring  Him 
of  our  irrevocable  fidelity.  A  fervent  soul  longs  eagerly 
for  this  happy  time.  And  our  Lord  tells  us  that  one  of 
the  greatest  desires  of  His  Heart — desiderio  desideravi — 
is  to  eat  this  mysterious  Pasch  with  us.  This  is  the  reason 
why  He  grieves  when,  through  negligence,  tepidity,  or 
human  respect,  He  sees  us  abstain  from  Holy  Communion. 

"  My  well-beloved,"  He  said  one  day  to  a  soul  guilty 
of  this  neglect,  "  why  dost  thou  fly  from  Me  ?"  Mechtilde 
was  astonished  that  our  Lord  spoke  to  this  person  with 
so  much  tenderness;  but  He  said  to  her:  "  I  will  call  her 
my  well-beloved  all  the  days  of  her  life."  "  But  after 
her  death,"  asked  St.  Mechtilde,  "  will  she  be  deprived 
of  so  tender  a  name?"  Our  Lord  replied:  "  She  will 
keep  it  for  all  eternity." 

And  speaking  again  to  a  timid  soul,  He  said:  "  Draw 
near,  with  confidence,  to  the  omnipotence  of  the  Father, 
that  He  may  strengthen  thee;  to  the  wisdom  of  the  Son, 
that  He  may  enlighten  thee;  and  to  the  love  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  He  may  fill  thee  with  His  sweetness." 

Again,  another  soul  dared  not  approach  the  most  Holy 
Communion,  fearing  she  was  not  worthy.  "  Let  her 
receive  Me  frequently,"  said  our  Lord;  "  every  time 
she  comes  I  will  receive  her  as  My  legitimate  queen." 

Who  could  resist  so  sweet  an  invitation  ?  Jesus  treats 
our  souls  as  His  well-beloved,  as  His  queen.  And  yet, 
'59 


160  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

how  many  still  hesitate  !  Holy  Communion  is  fre 
quented,  but  often  only  at  long  intervals. 

Mechtilde  prayed  for  one  of  those  souls  who  feared  to 
communicate  often.  Our  Lord  said  to  her:  "  The  more 
often  a  soul  communicates,  the  purer  it  becomes,  as  we 
become  cleaner  if  we  wash  often.  The  more  often  a  soul 
communicates,  the  more  I  operate  in  it;  and  the  more  it 
works  with  Me,  its  actions  become  more  holy.  The  more 
often  a  soul  communicates,  the  more  profoundly  does  it 
dwell  in  Me;  and  the  more  it  penetrates  into  the  abyss  of 
My  divinity,  the  more  is  that  soul  dilated  and  capable  of 
containing  the  divinity.  In  the  same  way  water  falling 
on  a  certain  spot  of  stone  at  length  wears  a  cavity  to  fill," 

This  marvellous  immersion  operated  by  Holy  Com 
munion  is  explained  by  our  Lord  in  another  way.  One 
day  after  she  had  received  Holy  Communion  He  said 
to  St.  Mechtilde:  "I  am  in  thee  and  thou  art  in 
Me  by  My  power,  as  a  fish  in  the  water."  Mechtilde 
felt  obliged  to  say:  "  But,  Lord,  the  fish  are  sometimes 
drawn  by  nets  out  of  the  water;  what  if  the  same  happened 
to  me  ?"  Our  Lord  calmed  this  fear :  "  No  one  could  draw 
thee  away  from  Me,"  He  said;  "  thou  shalt  make  thy 
nest  in  My  divine  Heart."  "  My  nest  in  Thy  divine 
Heart,  O  Jesus :  of  what  shall  this  nest  be  made  ?"  "  It 
shall  be  formed  of  humility  amidst  the  gifts  and  graces 
which  I  have  conferred  on  thee.  Cast  thyself  into  the 
abyss  of  a  profound  humility."  "  O  Lord,  fish  grow  in 
the  water,  but  shall  I  bear  fruit  in  Thy  divine  Heart  ?" 
"  Yes,  and  such  abundant  fruit  that  all  heaven  will 
rejoice.  When  thou  shalt  offer  Me  to  God  the  Father 
for  the  joy  and  glory  of  the  Saints,  their  happiness  and 
recompense  shall  be  increased,  as  though  they  had 
received  Me  corporally  on  the  earth." 

Who  would  "not  by  Holy  Communion  build  his  nest 
in  the  Heart  of  Jesus  and  in  that  way  increase  the  joy  of 
the  Angels  and  Saints  ? 


CHAPTER  LV 
PREPARATION  FOR  HOLT  COMMUNION 

WE  must  prepare  carefully  for  Holy  Communion. 
The  Apostle  says :  "  Let  a  man  prove  himself, 
and  then  eat  of  this  Bread  and  drink  of  this 
Chalice." 

The  preparation  must  be  thorough,  worthy  of  the 
Guest  we  are  going  to  receive,  but  regulated  by  pru 
dence  and  kept  within  the  rules  of  discretion,  otherwise 
too  much  solicitude  about  preparation  might  prevent 
us  going  to  Holy  Communion.  Exaggeration,  on  this 
head,  was  the  infernal  means  by  which  Jansenism  tried 
to  prevent  frequent  Communion. 

Our  Lord  gave  St.  Mechtilde  some  delightful  instruc 
tions  for  our  edification.  One  day  when  she  ought  to 
have  received  Holy  Communion  and  thought  herself 
unfit  through  want  of  preparation,  our  Lord  said  to  her: 
"  I  give  Myself  entirely  to  thee,  to  be  Myself  thy  prepara 
tion."  And  He  placed  His  Heart  on  that  of  St.  Mechtilde 
and  laid  His  Head  on  her  head.  She  then  said:  "O 
Lord,  enlighten  the  face  of  my  soul  with  the  brightness 
of  Thy  countenance."  Our  Lord  replied:  "  The  face 
of  thy  soul  is  the  image  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  The  soul 
should  see  this  image  reflected  in  My  face  as  in  a  mirror, 
and  see  whether  he  finds  some  stain  in  that  image." 

Mechtilde  understood  that  we  should  often  contem 
plate  bur  soul  in  this  divine  Mirror,  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ,  so  as  to  discover  any  stains  that  might  disfigure 
it,  and  wash  them  away  before  Holy  Communion.  Purity 
of  conscience,  then,  is  the  first  preparation,  but  the  Sacred 
Heart  expects  more. 

He  gives  a  second  lesson.  "  O  loving  Lord,"  said 
161  ii 


1 62  THE  LOVE  OF  THE  S4CRED  HEART 

Mechtilde,  "  teach  me  how  to  prepare  for  the  royal 
banquet  of  Thy  adorable  Body  and  Blood."  Our  Lord 
answered:  "  What  did  My  disciples  do  when  I  sent  them 
before  Me  to  prepare  the  Pasch  which  I  was  to  eat  with 
them  the  night  before  my  Passion  ?  They  prepared  a 
large  and  well-furnished  hall." 

By  this  our  Lord  wishes  us  to  remember  that  with 
repentance  He  desires  confidence — confidence  in  His 
immense  bounty  and  liberality  in  lovingly  receiving  those 
who  go  to  Him.  We  must  have  confidence  in  His 
clemency,  for  He  will  receive  us  kindly  as  a  mother, 
guarding  us  from  all  evil;  confidence  in  His  love,  which 
offers  a  sure  welcome  to  all  who  communicate,  enriching 
them  with  His  best  gifts ;  confidence  in  His  tenderness, 
which  will  bestow  on  them  faith  and  hope  to  obtain  all 
that  is  necessary  for  salvation. 

To  this  unlimited  confidence  we  must  join  the  remem 
brance  of  the  Passion.  St.  Mechtilde  always  observed 
this,  our  Lord  having  said:  "  Do  this  in  memory  of  Me  " 
(Luke  xxi.  9).  The  Holy  Ghost  deigned  to  comment  on 
the  words:  "  Do  this  in  memory  of  Me." 

There  are  three  things  we  should  remember  in  receiving 
the  Body  of  Christ.  The  first  is  the  eternal  love  of  the 
Father,  which  caused  Him  to  love  us  before  we  were 
made,  though  He  knew  well  all  our  defects  and  wicked 
ness,  despite  which  He  created  us  to  His  own  image  and 
likeness,  and  for  this  we  should  thank  Him.  The  second 
is  the  marvellous  love  which  caused  the  Son  of  God, 
though  He  abounded  with  delight  in  the  bosom  of  the 
Father,  to  come  down  on  the  earth.  He  left  His  infinite 
majesty  and  descended  to  our  misery,  to  us  captives  in 
the  bonds  of  Adam.  Hunger,  cold,  heat,  weariness, 
sadness,  contempt,  suffering  and  the  most  ignominious 
death,  He  bore  with  a  divine  patience,  so  as  to  deliver 
us  from  our  miseries.  The  third  is  the  unheard-of  love 
with  which  He  always  watches  over  us,  taking  care  of  us 


PREPARATION  FOR  HOLT  COMMUNION   163 

in  His  paternal  tenderness.  So,  after  being  our  Creator 
and  Redeemer,  as  a  loving  brother  He  intercedes  always 
for  us  with  the  Father,  regulates  and  directs  our  concerns 
as  an  attendant  and  faithful  servant. 

These  three  things  we  should  always  bear  in  remem 
brance,  but  especially  when  partaking  of  the  celestial 
banquet,  the  heavenly  legacy  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  of  which 
we  should  always  keep  before  us  the  remembrance. 

Our  Lord  also  deigned  Himself  to  teach  us  the  intention 
we  should  have  in  receiving  Holy  Communion. 

It  was  the  custom  in  the  Community  to  indicate  by  a 
tablet  that  they  intended  to  communicate,  and  this 
tablet  bore  the  name  of  the  Religious.  In  writing  it 
Mechtilde  said:  "Write,  dear  Lord,  my  name  on  Thy 
Heart  and  inscribe  also  Thy  sweet  Name  on  my  heart  by 
a  perpetual  remembrance."  Our  Lord  then  said  to  her 
one  day:  "When  thou  wilt  communicate,  receive  Me 
with  an  intention  as  strong  as  if  thou  hadst  all  the  desires 
and  all  the  love  which  ever  filled  a  human  heart.  Filled 
with  the  strongest  love  that  the  heart  of  man  can  contain, 
come  to  Me.  I  will  then  receive  this  love  from  thee, 
not  such  as  it  really  is  in  thee,  but  such  as  thou  wouldst 
wish  it  to  be." 

So  our  Lord  was  faithful  to  His  promise:  "  I  will  give 
Myself  entirely  to  thee  to  be  thy  preparation." 


CHAPTER  LVI 

THE  FIFE  HAIL  MARTS  BEFORE  HOLT 
COMMUNION 

ST.  MECHTILDE'S  pious  custom  was  to  recite 
five  Hail  Marys  before  receiving  Holy  Com 
munion,  and  these  were  her  intentions: 

At  the  first  Hail  Mary,  she  reminded  our  Lady  of  the 
solemn  hour  when  she  conceived  a  Son  in  her  virginal 
womb,  at  the  word  of  the  Angel,  and  drew  Him  to  her 
from  heaven  by  her  profound  humility.  She  asked  her 
to  obtain  for  her  a  pure  conscience  and  profound  humility. 

At  the  second  Hail  Mary,  she  reminded  her  of  the 
happy  moment  when  she  took  Jesus  for  the  first  time  into 
her  arms  and  first  saw  Him  in  His  Sacred  Humanity. 
She  prayed  Mary  to  obtain  for  her  a  true  knowledge  of 
herself. 

At  the  third  Hail  Mary,  she  begged  our  Lady  to 
remember  that  she  had  always  been  prepared  to  receive 
grace  and  had  never  placed  any  obstacle  to  its  operation. 
She  begged  Mary  to  obtain  for  her  a  heart  always  ready 
to  receive  divine  grace. 

At  the  fourth  Hail  Mary,  she  reminded  our  Lady  with 
what  devotion  and  gratitude  she  received  on  earth  the 
body  of  her  well-beloved  Son,  knowing  better  than 
anyone  the  salvation  to  be  found  there  by  mankind. 
Mechtilde  begged  her  to  obtain  that  her  heart  might  be 
filled  with  worthy  feelings  of  gratitude.  If  men  knew 
the  blessings  which  flow  for  them  from  the  body  of  Jesus 
Christ,  they  would  faint  with  joy. 

At  the  fifth  Hail  Mary,  she  reminded  our  Lady  of  the 
reception  given  to  her  by  her  divine  Son  when  He 
invited  her  to  take  her  place  near  Him  in  heaven  in  the 
midst  of  transports  of  joy. 

164 


CHAPTER  LVII 

OF  DRTNESS  IN  RECEIVING  HOLT 
COMMUNION 

ONE  of  the  greatest  trials  of  a  pious  soul  is  to  feel 
nothing  but  dryness  and  desolation  when  Jesus 
enters  their  heart.     If  it  were  only  a  matter  of 
sorrow  and  complaint,  it  would  not  be  so  serious,  but 
alas !  it  is  often  made  a  pretext  for  abstaining  from  Holy 
Communion. 

Our  Lord  gives  this  instruction  to  them  for  their  con 
solation  :  "  When  thou  art  preparing  for  Holy  Communion 
and  only  feelest  thy  heart  dry,  with  no  desire  nor  love 
for  prayer  nor  any  of  the  love  thou  oughtest  to  have, 
cry  with  all  thy  strength  to  the  Lord:  *  Draw  us,  and  we 
will  run  after  Thee  to  the  odour  of  Thy  ointments.' 
And  in  saying  this  word  c  Draw  us,'  think  how  strong  and 
powerful  was  the  love  which  drew  the  almighty  and 
eternal  God  down  to  the  ignominious  death  of  the  Cross. 
Filled  with  an  ardent  desire  for  Him  who  said  *  When 
I  shall  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth  I  will  draw  all  things 
unto  Myself,'  beg  of  Him  that  He  would  draw  thy  heart 
and  all  the  powers  of  thy  soul  so  strongly  to  Himself  that 
He  will  cause  thee  to  run  with  love  and  desire  in  the  odour 
of  the  three  perfumes  which  come  from  the  very  noble 
reservoir  of  My  Heart  with  so  great  an  abundance  that 
they  fill  heaven  and  earth. 

"  Trie  first  perfume  is  the  living  water  which  divine 
love  distilled  from  the  noble  rose  of  the  divine  Heart 
in  the  furnace  of  charity.  With  this  perfume  wash  the 
face  of  thy  soul.  If  after  a  serious  examination  thou 
dost  find  any  stain  of  sin,  beg  that  it  may  be  cleansed  in 
the  fountain  of  mercy  which  bathed  the  thief  on  the  cross. 

165 


1 66   THE  LOVE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

"  The  second  perfume  is  the  generous  wine  of  the 
Precious  Blood  of  the  Crucified  which  issued  with  water 
from  the  wound  of  His  Sacred  Heart.  Beg  that  the  face 
of  thy  soul  may  be  tinged  with  it,  so  as  to  be  worthy  to 
take  a  place  at  so  great  a  banquet. 

"  The  third  perfume  is  the  marvellous  meekness  which 
overflows  from  the  divine  Heart.  This  meekness,  which 
the  bitterness  of  death  could  not  exhaust,  is  a  perfume 
of  balsam  which  surpasses  every  aromatic  perfume  and 
is  a  remedy  for  every  infirmity  of  soul.  Beg  that  this 
perfume  may  be  poured  into  thy  soul  so  that  it  may  taste 
and  see  that  the  Lord  is  sweet.  It  will  be  nourished  by 
this  sweetness,  it  will  expand  and  enter  entirely  into  Him 
who  has  given  Himself  to  thee  with  so  much  love. 

"  When  thou  shalt  feel  none  of  this  sweetness  of  which 
we  have  been  speaking,  beg  of  thy  Sweet  and  faithful 
Jesus,  who  loves  thee,  to  draw  it  from  Himself;  beg  that 
what  is  insipid  in  thee  may  partake  of  His  savour,  that 
thy  tepidity  may  gain  fervour  from  Him;  and  that  He 
alone  may  be  glorified  in  all  thy  works,  now  and  for  ever." 

So,  with  us  too,  O  Sacred  Heart,  either  Thy  perfumes 
will  bestow  on  us  the  sweetness  of  Thy  fervour,  or  our 
dryness  fill  Thee  with  joy.  But  we  will  continue  always 
to  go  to  Thee. 


CHAPTER  LVIII 
THE  FRUIT  OF  HOLT  COMMUNION 

ST.  BENEDICT'S  holy  daughter  is  never  tired  of 
presenting  the  Sacred  Heart  to  us  as  the  source 
of  all  good,  all  happiness,  and  every  virtue. 

Its  influence  on  souls  is  increasing,  but  it  is  never 
more  powerful  than  after  Holy  Communion.  Then  our 
Lord  not  only  gives  graces,  but  Himself;  and  He  gives 
Himself  that  He  may  be  everything  to  the  soul  in  its 
needs.  If  we  are  weak,  He  rests  in  our  breast  as  a  shield, 
to  be  our  defence  and  strength  against  our  enemies.  If 
we  aspire  to  practise  virtue,  He  comes  to  communicate 
to  us  His  own. 

In  this  manner  St.  Mechtilde  saw  Him  give  Himself 
one  Good  Friday  to  the  Religious  as  buried  in  aromatic 
perfumes  of  delicious  odour.  The  aromatic  perfume 
came  from  all  parts  of  His  Sacred  Heart  and  blossomed 
like  flowers,  so  that  this  divine  Heart  was  like  a  mass  of 
flowers.  But  how  is  this  marvellous  union  accomplished  ? 

The  Holy  Fathers  employ  two  comparisons,  which  our 
Lord  Himself  made  use  of  in  instructing  His  servant. 
At  the  moment  of  communicating  He  said  to  her:  "  Wilt 
thou  now  see  how  I  am  in  thee  and  thou  art  in  Me  ?" 
In  her  humility  she  kept  silence,  but,  at  once,  she  saw  our 
Lord  as  a  transparent  crystal,  and  her  own  soul  as  most 
pure  a'nd  shining  water  flowing  throughout  the  Body  of 
Christ. 

St.  Cyril  of  Jerusalem  says  that  those  who  communicate 
are  so  intimately  united  to  Jesus  Christ  that  they  have 
with  Him  but  one  body  and  soul.  This  wonderful 
union  is  expressed  again,  but  with  more  theological 

167 


1 68      THE  LOFE  OF  THE  SACRED  HEART 

exactitude.  "Behold,"  said  St.  Mechtilde,  "whilst 
assisting  at  Mass  Thou  art  wholly  in  the  hands  of  the 
priest  and  yet  art  wholly  in  me."  Our  Lord  answered: 
"  Is  not  thy  soul  in  all  the  different  parts  of  thy  body  ? 
If  thy  soul,  a  simple  creature,  has  this  privilege,  why 
should  not  I,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  be  in  all  My  crea 
tures  and  everywhere  ?" 

He  then  caused  her  to  rest  on  His  Heart  and  said  to 
her:  "  Receive  My  divine  Heart  entirely."  And  Mech 
tilde  felt  the  divinity  dart  through  her  like  an  impetuous 
torrent. 

But  what  is  of  more  importance  than  knowing  how  this 
union  is  effected  is  to  understand  the  fruits  it  ought 
to  produce  in  us,  and  the  obligation  under  which  we  lie, 
with  God's  help,  of  showing  them  in  our  lives. 

Mechtilde  had  another  day  received  the  Sacred  Body 
of  Jesus.  After  sweet  colloquies  with  Him,  it  seemed  to 
her  that  our  Lord  took  her  heart  and  placed  it  in  His 
divine  Heart,  so  that  the  two  made  only  one.  He  then 
said:  "  It  is  in  this  manner  that  I  wished  the  heart  of 
man  to  be  united  to  Me  in  its  desires,  so  that  all  its  move 
ments  might  be  regulated  by  My  Heart,  as  two  winds 
blowing  together  make  only  one  draught. 

"  This  being  so,  man  ought  to  unite  himself  to  Me  in 
all  his  actions.  If,  for  example,  he  wishes  to  eat  or  to 
sleep,  he  should  say:  *  Lord,  in  union  with  the  love  which 
caused  Thee  to  make  this  food  or  this  rest  for  me,  I  take 
this  for  Thy  eternal  praise  and  for  the  needs  of  my  body.' 
In  the  same  way  when  some  work  is  commanded  Him, 
he  should  say:  'Lord,  in  union  with  the  love  which  made 
Thee  work  with  Thy  hands,  and  causes  Thee  still  to  work 
unceasingly  in  my  soul,  in  union  with  the  love  which  lays 
this  task  on  me,  I  wish  to  acquit  myself  of  it  for  Thy  glory 
and  for  the  interests  of  all,  for  Thou  hast  said:  "Without 
Me  thou  canst  do  nothing."  I  pray  of  Thee  to  unite 
it  to  Thee  and  to  perfect  it  as  Thy  works  are  perfect,  that 


THE  FRUIT  OF  HOLT  COMMUNION     169 

it  may  be  as  a  drop  of  water  fallen  into  a  great  river, 
which  has  no  other  movement  than  that  of  the  river." 

"  The  union  must  also  be  one  of  will,  so  that  all  may 
be  accepted  as  My  will  in  adversity  as  in  prosperity.  As 
two  precious  metals  melted  become  one  and  can  no  more 
be  separated,  so  man  by  love  becomes  one  mind  with  Me, 
and  this  is  the  greatest  perfection  and  the  highest  sanctity 
in  this  life." 


Printed  in  England 


Jl 


MECHTILDE,   St.  BQT 

The  Love  of  the  Sacred  rieart.       2591